This week’s Athlete of the Week is golfer Eamon Bradley. A native of Scotland, Bradley started his college golf career with an outstanding season, earning him the title of 2012-13 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and the Louisiana Freshman of the Year. Continuing his success this season, Bradley was named the March 2013 Southland Conference Golfer of the Month. Last week in the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship, his final round score of 71 was the lowest score of the Lions, helping the team to place eighth out of 15 competing teams.
The Lion’s Roar: How did you get into golf?
Eamon Bradley: I got into golf from an early age. My entire family played, including my two older brothers. I would see them going away every day to play golf during the summer and the only way I could join them was to learn to play. Luckily, I took to the game and fell in love with it and the rest, as they say, is history.
TLR: What made you choose Southeastern?
EB: I turned down a number of high quality schools to come to Southeastern. I had lots of offers from universities like Kentucky, Kansas, Coastal Carolina and Northwestern in Chicago. I chose Southeastern because it best fit what I was looking for from my desired college, despite not being a big name school like some of the others. Coming from Scotland, where the weather is less than ideal for playing golf, I made the weather my top priority. It was also very important for me to find an academic institution of high quality, particularly in my field of study, which is Finance. However, one of the biggest selling points of the university was the success of the golf team itself.
TLR: How does it feel being so far from home but doing something you enjoy?
EB: My parents have always encouraged me to live my life and have always been supportive of me doing whatever would make me happiest. It was never a problem living away from home. I am a very independent person naturally, so being as far away from home as I am is not an issue. Plus, the people of Louisiana made me feel at home from the very start.
TLR: Do you have any pre-game rituals?
EB: I am not one for much superstition. I tend to just try and stay relaxed before the round and keep myself loose. If I can keep myself relaxed, I can perform to the level that I know I can.
TLR: Who is your favorite professional golf player and why?
EB: Difficult question! It is hard to look past Tiger. Golf is a lot more exciting when he is playing. A personal favorite is Freddie “Boom Boom” Couples. For a 54-year-old, he is so smooth and so talented and a real inspiration.
TLR: What are your hopes for life after college?
EB: My real ambition is to be the best golfer in the world! That is the aim and it will always be. When I graduate, I will play pro golf and hopefully represent Southeastern worldwide on the biggest and best tours in the world, and hopefully make everyone at Southeastern proud.