INDIANAPOLIS --- Tusculum College senior Brad Hawkins will compete as an individual competitor at the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Regional, which will be held May 2-4 at the Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.

The South/Southeast Regional will consist of 20 teams and eight individual competitors. The top five teams and the top two student-athletes not with a team from each regional (regardless of region) will advance to the NCAA II National Championship (May 17-21) at Green Valley Ranch in Denver, Colorado.

Hawkins becomes the sixth Pioneer in program history to receive an individual berth. Brent Dyson and Sasha Catron were the first to achieve the feat in 2003. Catron returned to the NCAA Regional again in 2004, while Nick Kinzer advanced to the 2006 regional. Chris Wynne advanced to three straight regionals from 2006-08, while Chase Carroll followed with three straight trips himself from 2007-09.

This will be Hawkins second NCAA postseason appearance, but first as an individual competitor. The Pioneers earned a team automatic berth last season as Hawkins finished 57th in the individual competition with a 54-hole total 228 in Dade City, Florida.

Hawkins, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, was named the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, becoming the fourth Pioneer in program history to earn the SAC's top golf honor, joining greats Dyson (2002), Wynne (2008) and Carroll (2009).

Hawkins is enjoying the best season by a Pioneer in program history as he owns a NCAA Division II-leading 70.40 scoring average, which is on pace to be a new Tusculum and SAC single-season record. The Knox Central High School graduate has finished in the top-five in nine of his 11 events this year, including medalist honors at the State Farm Intercollegiate, Pioneer Classic and Hargett Memorial Intercollegiate.

Hawkins has carded a school single-season record 14 sub-par rounds, with nine of those in the 60s, including an 18-hole TC and SAC record 63 at the Pioneer Classic last fall. During the Pioneer Classic, he carded the lowest 36-hole score in school and SAC history with an eight-under par 132. He also established the 54-hole TC and SAC record with a remarkable 16-under par 200 at the State Farm Intercollegiate.

The 2015 GCAA All-Region standout leads the nation in score versus par (1.07) and is second in both par 5 scoring (4.53) and sub-par strokes per round (4.27). He is also third in par 4 scoring (.402) and 24th in eagles (4).

Hawkins career scoring average of 71.25 at Tusculum is also on pace to shatter the college and conference record book. His five career medalist wins are tied for third most at Tusculum, while his 22 career sub-par rounds are tied for the most in TC history and sharing the mark with former TC All-American Chase Carroll (2005-09).

The two-time All-SAC first team honoree is coming off a runner-up finish at the SAC Championship earlier this week as her fired a two-under par 70 to finished with a 54-hole score of 218 (+2).

He has also been named a semifinalist for the 2016 Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award.

- TC -