Bray Keeps Goals Quiet, Lets Play on Links Talk

Not that his superb play on the links helps him to maintain that modesty.

In his first year of collegiate golf, Bray has proven his value to the future of UNC's golf program. A prized in-state recruit from Asheboro, Bray's performance on the fairways and greens continues to catch the eye of UNC coach John Inman.

"He was definitely not just one of the best players in the country, but one of the best players in the country from North Carolina," Inman said. "We were very fortunate that he selected us."

Despite coming in so highly regarded, Bray still has personal goals he has yet to achieve.

"I have extremely high goals," Bray said. "I don't really discuss them with anybody. I do expect a lot out of myself and expect to win golf tournaments. I'm not here to finish in the top five or top 10."

His expectations aren't hard to notice when Bray is on the course. He easily gets frustrated on missed putts and talks to himself in vain on drives that hit the fairway.

UNC teammate Rob Simmons described Bray as the typical golfer, striving to never make a mistake.

"He's a perfectionist just like everybody who plays this game," Simmons said. "He's proven himself as a freshman and has the potential to be one of the best players in the country."

Inman said Bray's maturity level has risen to that of his junior and senior counterparts.

"He has a good head on his shoulders, thinks very well on the golf course and has a lot of confidence in himself," Inman said. "If you have those things, you can go a long way in the game."

Which is exactly what Bray wants to do. After graduating from UNC, Bray wants to become a professional golfer and continually looks to Inman for guidance.

A former PGA Tour player, Inman still competes in occasional tournaments. His expertise helped Bray decide between UNC and N.C. State.

"I knew that he'd be able to pull me in the right direction," Bray said. "If I get to that point, he can show me how things run out there in the pro ranks."

As for now, Bray is shattering records at UNC's Finley Golf Course. His course record of 6-under-par 66 was just recently surpassed by fellow Tar Heel golfer Ramon Bescansa, who shot a

7-under-par 65 in practice for The Intercollegiate golf tournament, which was held April 14 and 15.

In the ACC championships last weekend, Bray's 4-over-par 220 finish at Disney's Magnolia Course earned him a tie for 22nd place.

Said Bray, "The tougher the competition, the majority of the time I am able to raise the level of my game."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.