Titan men's golf team ready to compete for national championship

The Eastern Florida State College men's golf team is ready to compete for a national championship this week at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City, Kansas.

The Titans are competing in the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship for the 15^th straight season and come into the tournament as one of the favorites after winning the District 4 Championship for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

"They went out and played well all week and we need to do that again this week," Eastern Florida State College men's golf coach Jamie Howell said. "We just want to work out the kinks and get them ready for Garden City. For the most part, it is still golf. The course will be different but there are still 8 holes and if we are doing our work we will adjust to it."

The tournament will be 72 holes over four days beginning Tuesday, just like a PGA Tournament.

"We just have to have patience, you don't want to force the issue. It is the national championship so we have 72 holes, take it one shot at a time and if we do what we usually do, we will be fine."

Bawden has two wins and placed second twice including a second-place finish at the District 4 Championship while teammate Mathieu Echelard has a win and has finished in the top 10 in every event this spring after sitting out the fall season. Teaming with Fraser Davren, Tyler Bennett and Ryan Rozic, the Titans are looking to claim a national championship for the first time under head coach Jamie Howell.

The Titans have produced seven individual national champions, the most recent being Kerry Sweeney who won it last May at Duran Golf Club in Viera. Sweeney joined Jacob Davis, 2004, and Billy Anderson, 2011, as Howell-coached individual national champions. Howell also has coached 22 All-Americans.

The Titans best national team finish under Howell was second in 2015.