Thompson: Michael Johnson makes U.S. Junior Amateur
The Birmingham News
Posted July 9, 2009
Last week he qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur, which will be played July 20-25 at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J.
Now 16, Michael remembered when his older brother qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur as a rising junior, as well. That was in 2005 when Bradley would make it all the way to the final before losing to Kevin Tway, now a star on Oklahoma State's team. That was Bradley's second time to qualify.
Bradley, who had his pick of top college programs, was killed in a car wreck in March 2006.
"I'm not playing (golf) to compare myself to Bradley, but it is hard not to compare us as brothers," Michael said. "Part of me does play for him and part of me plays for myself. I just want to be as good as I can."
Johnson plays for Spain Park High, where coach Al Del Greco has molded a fine team, winning the state high school title the last two years. This year Robby Prater was medalist, followed by Gabe Hyde in third, Johnson fourth and Conner Pratt fifth.
To qualify for the U.S. Junior, Johnson chose to play at Grand Bear GC in Saucier, Miss., rather than try the qualifier close to home at Bent Brook.
"With only two (qualifying) places (at each venue), I thought I had a better chance in Mississippi," Johnson said.
"Bobby Wyatt (who qualified) and Tom Lovelady (who did not) were playing at Bent Brook and I knew they'd be tough to beat."
It proved to be a good choice as he shot 72-68 to win the qualifier by two shots. His 4-under-par total was keyed by a scintillating final nine holes of 5-under, which broke him out of a logjam of good scores.
Last year, when this national championship was hosted by Shoal Creek, he was first alternate and sat by the first tee all day long in case someone dropped out. It didn't happen. This year he doesn't have to worry about such things.
He will be joined at Trump National by his good friend Hannah Collier, who will be a senior at Spain Park and will play in the U.S. Girls Junior, which is being played at the same venue at the same time. Both Trump courses will be utilized.
GREYSTONE INVITATIONAL:
The recent Greystone Invitational was won by Justin Yoder, who was the only player in a strong field to finish under par after four grueling rounds.
He shot 69-69-74-75--287 to pip Auburn's Glenn Northcutt and Chris Rockwell of Maryland by a shot. Young Jake Greer of Birmingham finished another shot back in fourth.
Yoder, who hails from Versailles, Mo. and plays for Central Missouri, became the third straight winner to go wire-to-wire.
Join the conversation below or e-mail Ian at golfsth@aol.com.
Spain Park repeats at Johnson Memorial
GOLFWEEK STAFF
Posted April 2, 2009
Spain Park High School won its second straight Bradley Johnson Memorial Tournament March 24 at Greystone Country Club in Birmingham, Ala.
The team was led by sophomore Michael Johnson, who closed with a 2-over 74 to finish T-2 and give the Hoover, Ala., school a two-shot victory over UMS Wright of Mobile, Ala. Former NFL kicker Al Del Greco coaches Spain Park.
Johnson is the brother of Bradley, a former Spain Park golfer whom the tournament is named after. Bradley Johnson died in a car accident three years ago. At the 2005 U.S. Junior, he finished runner-up to Kevin Tway.
UMS Wright junior Bobby Wyatt, No. 9 in the Golfweek/Titleist Junior Rankings, finished at 1-under 143 to win the individual medal by eight shots. He gave Alabama a verbal commitment earlier this year.
The event is designed to raise money for junior golfers in the form of scholarships and assistance for junior golf tournaments, administered by the Bradley Johnson Memorial Foundation.
For more information about Bradley Johnson or the Bradley Johnson Memorial Foundation, visit bradleyjohnsonmemorialfoundation.org. Applications for financial assistance to junior golfers are also available.
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Spain Park repeats Bradley win
SHELBY COUNTY REPORTER
Posted March 25, 2009
HOOVER — The state championship is big, but this is bigger to Spain Park golfers. The Jaguars hosted the third-annual Bradley Johnson Memorial Tournament to start the week, winning both rounds to edge UMS Wright by two strokes, 609-611, at the Greystone Country Club’s Founders Course.
Spain Park and the Bradley Johnson Memorial Foundation started the tournament in March 2007 in memory of Johnson who was killed in a car accident in March 2006. Johnson, a member of the Spain Park golf team, was one of the top junior golfers in the nation at the time of his death.
Johnson’s younger brother Michael, a sophomore, shot a 74 in the final round Tuesday to help lead Spain Park as he and teammate Conner Pratt both shot two-round scores of 151 to finish second overall. The two scores helped provide the difference for the win, as Bobby Wyatt was the only UMS-Wright player in the Top 5, winning the Bradley with a 143 score in two rounds.
TEAMS |
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1. Spain Park (a) |
305-304 - 609 |
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|
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2. UMS Wright |
307-304 - 611 |
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|
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3. Hewitt |
312-317 - 629 |
|
|
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4. St Pauls |
317-317 - 634 |
|
|
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5. Mtn. Brook |
318-319 - 637 |
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|
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6. Vestavia |
318-323 - 641 |
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|
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7. Decatur |
322-323 - 645 |
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|
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8. Briarwood |
320-332 - 652 |
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|
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9. Auburn |
339-319 - 658 |
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|
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10. Cullman |
317-348 - 665 |
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|
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11. Hoover |
340-332 - 672 |
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|
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12. Northridge |
343-346 - 689 |
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|
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13. Oxford |
355-341 - 696 |
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|
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14. Boaz |
347-350 - 697 |
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|
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15. Oak Mtn. |
350-356 - 706 |
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|
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• • • |
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INDIVIDUALS (Top 30)
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1. Trey Del Greco |
69-71--140 |
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|
-4 |
2. David Zickler |
74-74--148 |
|
+ |
4 |
3. Will McCurdy |
75-75--150 |
|
+ |
6 |
4. Bobby Wyatt |
78-76--154 |
|
+ |
10 |
5. Gabe Hyde |
80-75--155 |
|
+ |
11 |
Spain Park wins Johnson Memorial
GOLFWEEK STAFF
Posted April 21, 2008
Spain Park High School won the second-annual Bradley Johnson Memorial tournament March 25, on a cool and windy day at Greystone Founders GC in Birmingham, Ala.
Spain Park was led by Trey Del Greco, who posted rounds of 69-71 for an eight-shot victory. Del Greco, the son of former NFL kicker and Spain Park coach Al Del Greco, will play this fall for Vanderbilt.
The event is named after Johnson, a former Spain Park golfer, who died in a car accident two years ago. Johnson was also a top-notch junior prospect, having finished runner-up to Kevin Tway at the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur.
The event is designed to raise money for junior golfers in the form of scholarships and assistance for junior golf tournaments, administered by the Bradley Johnson Memorial Foundation.
Scores from the second annual Bradlley Johnson Memorial, played March 24-25 at Greystone Founders GC in Birmingham, Ala..:
TEAMS |
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1. Spain Park (a) |
314-314--628 |
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2. Florence |
324-324--648 |
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2. UMS-Wright |
326-322--648 |
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4. Fort Payne |
333-322--655 |
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5. Mountain Brook |
332-325--657 |
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6. Vestavia |
336-323--659 |
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|
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7. Briarwood Christian |
337-325--662 |
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7. St. Paul's |
335-327--662 |
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9. Auburn |
337-337--674 |
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10. Decatur |
346-334--680 |
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11. McGill-Toolen |
347-345--692 |
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12. Northridge |
344-353--697 |
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12. Spain Park (b) |
343-354--697 |
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14. Hoover |
360-342--702 |
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15. Cullman |
367-342--709 |
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15. Oak Mountain |
365-344--709 |
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|
|
• • • |
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INDIVIDUALS
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|
|
|
|
Bobby Wyatt, UMS Wright |
UMS Wright |
|
72-71 - 143 |
Michael Johnson |
Spain Park |
|
77-74 – 151 |
Conner Pratt |
Spain Park |
|
74-77 – 151 |
Tom Lovelady |
Mtn. Brook |
|
75-76 - 151 |
Wilson McDonald |
St Pauls |
|
73-78 - 151 |
Bradley Johnson Golf Tournament
Play Now
The Bradley Johnson Memorial Tournament Greystone Founders Golf Club Birmingham, AL
Goozee wins by a stroke
Friday, March 30, 2007
MICHAEL CASAGRANDE
News staff writer
Oak Mountain High's Jeff Goozee wanted most of all to have a fun round of golf, celebrating the life of Bradley Johnson. That he won the two-day memorial tournament named for the late Spain Park golfer was secondary.
Goozee shot a 3-under-par 69 to win the Bradley Johnson Memorial Tournament by one stroke over Florence High's David Zickler at the Greystone Golf and Country Club Legacy Course on Thursday.
"Shooting 69 or shooting 109 really doesn't make a difference in this tournament," the medalist said.
Goozee told his teammates the event was more about playing with the spirit of Johnson, an outstanding prep golfer, who was killed March 25, 2006, in a traffic accident.
Johnson qualified twice for the U.S. Junior Amateur. He made it into the last 16 in 2004 and was runner-up in 2005.
"It's not like a normal tournament, like one you're trying to win. In this one, you're just trying to go out there and have fun."
Hoover High's Cory Gilmer, who led by three strokes after the first round on Wednesday, finished in a tie for third with Matt Krembel of Shalimar, Fla. Rossen Anderson of Briarwood Christian and Josh Rabbit from Northridge High of Tuscaloosa tied for fifth by finishing 1-over-par for the tournament.
Auburn, the three-time and defending Class 6A state champion, surprised no one when it won the team title by 10 strokes over runner-up Oak Mountain. Georgia singee Lowery Thomas was the Auburn low-scorer with two rounds of 74.
"The Johnsons have worked so hard to make this the best high school tournament we've ever played in," said Thomas, who said Bradley Johnson was one of his best friends. "It was an honor just to play in it, let alone to win it."
Auburn had all five golfers score in the 70s on a day that saw a shakeup on the leader board.
Gilmer was at 5-under par after the first round, but he dropped three shots in his first three holes. Goozie birdied holes six and seven after starting the round on the second hole. Making the second birdie on the par-4 seventh was a real momentum builder, he said, especially after hitting his tee shot into the trees and nearly out of bounds.
A 20-foot putt turned the near disaster into a scoring opportunity as he would birdie the 17th hole and make pars to close out the round.
But that didn't mean the round ended drama-free.
Goozee strayed from his conservative strategy on the 18th hole and it nearly cost him. Trying to reach the green in two shots on the par 5, his approach splashed down in the pond in front of the green.
He recovered, though, to save par and preserve the title.
E-mail: sports@bhamnews.com
Top 15 Individual Scores:
1. Jeff Goozee, Oak Mountain1422. David Zickler, unattached143T3. Cory Gilmer, Hoover144T3. Matt Krembel, unattached144T5. Rosson Anderson, Briarwood145T5. Josh Rabbit, Northridge145T7. Lowery Thomas, Auburn148T7. Bobby Wyatt, UMS Wright148T7. Jacob Randall, unattached148T7. Hunter Hamrick, unattached14811. Wilson McDonald, St. Paul's149T12. Hunter Slatton, Northridge150T12. Luke Lanier, Mountain Brook15014. Cody Klein, Auburn152T15. Jake Greer, Oak Mountain153T15. Johnny Mann, unattached153
Team Scores:
1. Auburn6102. Oak Mountain6203. Vestavia Hills6214. Mountain Brook6265. Northridge6296. UMS Wright6327. Briarwood6378. Spain Park (Legacy)645T9. Hoover648T9. Spain Park (Founders)64811. St. Paul's65112. Pelham66813. Cullman699
A year ago to this day, Bradley, one of my oldest friends was taken from us. I grew up with him from about the age of 6,and he was so important to me and everyone else around me. We had so many good times together, and I always respected him as a person, a competitor and more importantly as a friend. I loved Bradley Allen Johnson, and I still love him in his absence. I love Mr. Hugh, Mrs. Shari and Michael. Sure, Bradley and I would get in arguments over stupid things just like kids do, but not once did I lose my respect and love for him. In the span of a year, so many things have happened that have reminded me of Bradley and the wonderful person he was. One of the most recent being the blooming of the tree that was planted in his honor in the Spain Park courtyard. Everyday, I think about him in one way or another. When I got the news in the mid afternoon, around 4, on Saturday, March 25, 2006, I honestly did not know how to react. He was always there, but when I was told what had happened I could not grasp it.
That absence was so bade that when Addie came to art class a little less than a week after the funeral with the idea lf painting his parking space, I jumped on the bandwagon in a heartbeat. I thought that it would really help me realize what happened along with providing the school and community with a reminder of the absolute phenomenal person Bradley was. He passionately loved the game of golf, so for the painting we decided to do a golf scene where his back is turned and he is looking over a course in Heaven as he is walking through the gates. It tod Addie Ragsdale, Michael Stuckey, Trey Cartledge, Reid Morton and Matt Roos (our art teacher at the time), and myself, about 2 and 1/1/2 months to finish the painting completely,a and never before had I felt more satisfied at the end of a project.
Bradley, I love you so much. I'll never EVER forget you, and I will always love you and miss you more than you can know. Not a day goes by that I don't think about you. You were an incredibly talented, loving, caring and all around awesome guy. This was all for you Bradley, and I hope to see you again one day in paradise, bud. Until then, keep kickin' tail in golf up in Heaven. 11/16/88 - 3/25/06.
I love you Bradley,
Michael Holmes
Spain Park High School
class of 2007
Playing with a Purpose
Prater remembers ‘B.J.’ each day and each game
By ANDY LEONARD
Gazette Staff Writer
Spain Park senior point guard Jay Prater plays inspired basketball.Sure, he takes the court with the intensity and the desire expected from a senior captain, but he also plays with a higher purpose. Prater has the initials “B.J.” written on his sneakers each time he steps on the court. The initials stand for Bradley Johnson, the Spain Park golfer who died tragically in an automobile accident last March.Prater and Johnson were best friends. The two also were riding together, along with Lawson Steed, when Johnson’s SUV was hit by a tractor trailer near Lay Lake in Shelby County.“I have ‘B.J.’ written on (my basketball shoes) just reminding me to play for him, because he was my biggest fan,” Prater said. “He inspires me to play. He was at every single game. He loved watching me play, just like I loved keeping up with his golf stuff.”
Johnson was a superb golfer, one of the best junior golfers in the nation. He was named a 2005 American Junior Golf Association Rolex third-team All-American and in 2005 advanced to the final round of the U.S. Junior Amateur at Longmeadow (Mass.) Country Club before losing to Kevin Tway, 5 and 3. Tway is the son of professional golfer Bob Tway.
Johnson was being recruited by many colleges to play golf. On several of his recruiting trips, Johnson would invite Prater. “Last year he got to go to the Duke-North Carolina (basketball) game at Duke,” Prater said. “He took me to that. That was probably the most fun experience I’ve ever had in my entire life.” Prater and Johnson had been friends “since kindergarten.”“He lived right down the street from me,” Prater said. “I’d run over to his house every day after school.”
Prater, Johnson and Steed, who also lived on the same street, had traveled to a friend’s lake house the weekend of March 25, 2006. The trio did what most teenagers do at that age -- laughed, joked and played pranks on each other. “We were messing around with a BB gun,” Prater remembered with a smile and a laugh. “Bradley, we locked him out on the back porch and he accidentally shot (Steed) with the BB gun. We didn’t know if the BB was in his leg or out of his leg. “That’s why we left the lake house in the first place,” Prater said. “We were planning on spending the night.”
Prater suffered a concussion during the wreck and doesn’t remember getting into the car or anything about the accident.
“I really don’t mind that because I don’t think I would like to remember all that went down after that,” he said.
Johnson died at the scene. Aside from the concussion, Prater’s nose was broken. He still has scrapes and scars on his hip. “My nose was broken completely,” he said. “It was all messed up. They had to sew it back together and do surgery. I still might have to do (some more surgery). I was lucky enough that was all I got.“Lawson, he’s had trouble with his legs and wrists.” Because Prater had a concussion, he did not discover Johnson’s fate for a while. Doctors were not sure the shock would be good.“My parents couldn’t tell me that he didn’t make it until long after everybody else knew, so I didn’t know until way after,” Prater said. “I was in the hospital when they told me. I just remember sitting in the bed. I still wasn’t all there and I was drugged up, so I don’t really have any memory of it other than just sitting in the hospital. “It didn’t really hit me that Bradley wasn’t around until a couple of weeks after, because there was so much going on. Everything slowed down and I would reach for my phone to call him to come over and hang out or something. Then I would be like ‘Oh, he’s not here.’ It just feels like a big dream. Even at the funeral, it was just a couple of days after, it still hadn’t really hit me yet that Bradley would never be around, ever again. It was spur of the moment. God works in mysterious ways. He just wanted him up in heaven, so I accept that.” Prater still remembers the good times. He and Steed, a Spain Park student, have bracelets with the inscription, “Bradley Allen Johnson, 11-16-88 – 3-25-06, Philippians 1:3.”
The verse is a passage of remembrance. “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” (KJV)“I try to wear (the bracelet) all the time,” Prater said. “If I go a day without it, I feel incomplete. If I forget it, I know right when I leave the house.” Prater writes to Johnson in a journal and prays about him. He also has a CD filled with songs that remind him of Johnson. “I can listen to it and I’ll bawl for hours,” he said. “Every bit of it reminds me of him.“There are so many parts of my life, too, I can relate (to Johnson). Even that lake experience was so much fun, being able to spend time with my two best friends.”
Prater had no shortage of support from family and friends in the days and weeks following the accident. “My parents really helped me through it, but at the same time, Lawson,” he said. “We can talk about it when we need to. We’re always there for each other, as well as all of the rest of my friends.“Right after the wreck, probably for three weeks straight, there were no less than 10 people there just talking with me, making sure I was OK. That really helped. I’ve been able to talk to a lot of people, really, to be able to get through it.”Basketball, and playing for Spain Park head coach Brian Moon, also helped Prater get through the adversity.“(Coach Moon) has been like a good friend, a coach and a friend,” Prater said. “He’s been there for me whenever I needed him. I love playing for him.”Prater is the starting point guard for the Jaguars. Going into Tuesday’s game against Hoover, Prater had led the Jaguars to a 16-3 record, averaging 9.5 points per game, while shooting 46 percent from the field (64-of-138). In Friday’s 78-38 win against Grissom, Prater made four 3-pointers in the first quarter and five for the game. He finished with 19 points. The Jaguars reached the sub-regional last season before losing 49-35 to Hewitt-Trussville. Prater missed most of the game because of a concussion. He hopes to have a different outcome this season.
“We need to make it down to Jacksonville (site of the Northeast Regional) this year,” he said. “I think we can do it.”
As far as Prater and the Jaguars advance this season, through all of the games, he will have “B.J.” written on his sneakers and he’ll remember his friend, who would be cheering in the bleachers if he were alive. “I probably think about Bradley every three minutes, because there are so many parts of my life that I can relate to him,” Prater said. “I feel lucky, though, that I spent that much time with him. He was just a great friend and I miss him a lot.”
Andy Leonard may be reached at andy@hoovergazette.com or 979-6397.
Lasting legacy
Friend’s death has Barnes going
from putting green to the pulpit
By ANDY LEONARD
Gazette Staff Writer
When Scott Barnes moved to Spain Park High School from Fort Payne as a freshman, he did not know anyone. One of the first Spain Park students he got to know was Bradley Johnson. Johnson helped Barnes adjust to life at a new school and in a new city. The two became fast friends, both playing on the golf team. “He was one of the first people who kind of took me in,” Barnes said. “With us both being freshmen and playing golf, he was one of the first people I met. He meant a lot to me, getting me through my first year (at Spain Park).”
Barnes and his Spain Park teammates are remembering Johnson this week at the Bradley Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament at the Legacy Course at Greystone Golf and Country Club. The inaugural event was created to honor Johnson, who died in an automobile accident last March. Johnson had been one of country’s top junior golfers. In 2005, he advanced to the finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Longmeadow (Mass.) Country Club. He was named an American Junior Golf Association Rolex third-team All-American and earned a host of other honors.
The tournament includes 13 teams and 83 golfers, with some playing as individuals. The field consists of players who knew Bradley through golf, either locally or nationally. “Most of us have a certain group of people that we hang out with. He really fit in with everybody,” Barnes said. “That’s why after he died so many people were affected, because he touched so many lives.” Golfers teed off Wednesday at noon and will complete the tournament today. At the dinner last night, a video was shown with interviews and comments from friends. Barnes gave the invocation. “Bradley would have liked that,” Barnes said laughingly about the food. Spain Park golf coach Al Del Greco also thought the food would have been to Johnson’s liking, something the two had in common. “He always used to say, no matter how good or how bad we played and how happy or how upset or frustrated I was at how we played, it was going to be OK once we got to where we were going to eat because I’d be happy,” Del Greco said with a laugh. “I guess the joke was that Bradley and I never saw a buffet we didn’t like.”
Although Barnes and Del Greco can laugh, they admit emotions will be high during the tournament. “I think it’s going to be pretty rough, just knowing what we’re playing for, and wishing the tournament didn’t have to exist,” Barnes said. “But at the same time I’m excited because it’s going to be a great tournament. He deserves it that way.”
Barnes doesn’t think it will be as emotional as last year. The golf team missed a few tournaments following Johnson’s death, but then qualified for the state meet, where they finished third. “That meant a lot to us. That was probably the most emotional day of golf I’ve ever had,” Barnes said. “I think this week will be more of a remembrance, a celebration of life. We’re out here to win it, but winning’s not everything at this one.”
The accident revealed a side to Barnes that he didn’t know he had. He stepped into a leadership role on the team. The night of Johnson’s death Barnes invited several friends over to his house where his father Bobby grilled steaks for everyone.
“After that I tried to become more of a leader because we lost our other one,” he said. “I didn’t really have any (leadership qualities) until last year. I don’t really know why. I don’t know what came out of me.” Del Greco selected Barnes as the team captain for this season. He didn’t even need a vote from his golfers.“It was an easy choice. I knew who I wanted to be the leader of that team and he’s done a really good job,” Del Greco said. “He’s not the type of kid that’s going to dictate everything. He just has a way about him that he can talk to you about it and you can understand why it’s important to do it that way.” “I’m the captain, but I look at it as I’m the captain because (Johnson’s) not out here,” Barnes said. “I’m trying to do the best I can to do what he would have done.” Johnson’s accident brought the golf team and the school closer together. Having so many friends, Johnson’s death affected several people. They all relied on each other to cope with the tragedy. “If somebody had a problem they could talk to me about it,” Barnes said. “We were all hurt so we came together just to make ourselves feel better and talk to each other. It brought a lot of people together that beforehand wouldn’t have been in the same crowd. That kind of made it easier on all of us that we had a bunch of people who were affected and could help each other out.” Last year was particularly hard for Barnes. After losing his friend and teammate in March, his grandfather, Bob Barnes, died in the fall after a long bout with cancer. He marks his golf ball with two blue crosses, one representing Johnson and one representing his grandfather. “It reminds me to stay calm,” he said.
The tragedies forced Barnes to grow up sooner than he wanted. Barnes and Johnson would now be planning where they would live in Auburn. “Even though he kept claiming he was looking around at other colleges, we all knew he was going to Auburn,” Barnes said. “We were going to get a place and live together.”Instead, he is now looking farther down the road. Barnes will still attend Auburn in the fall. He’s not sure what will be his major, but after graduation he plans to enter seminary school. Barnes spoke at a tree-planting ceremony in the courtyard at Spain Park to honor Johnson and noticed it wasn’t as hard as he imagined.“After (the accident) a lot of people turned to God, because there’s really nothing else to turn to because we couldn’t explain it without looking at that,” Barnes said. “I was in the shower and it kind of just came to me.”
Since then Barnes has spoken at his church on several occasions. He attends The Church at Brook Hills and is a part of the youth group at Riverchase United Methodist Church.“I never really thought that was what I was going to do a year ago,” Barnes said. “If (Johnson’s accident) hadn’t happened, I don’t know if I would have ever realized that’s what I was supposed to do.”After a grieving process, Barnes and his friends now are able to look at Johnson’s death from a different perspective.“It took a while, but I think more and more everybody’s starting to see there were some positives that came from it – even though it still stinks and I wish it wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
Andy Leonard may be reached at andy@hoovergazette.com.
Bradley Johnson Lived a Life Worth Living
Sometimes, you hear something about someone or read something about that person and you say, “I wish I had known him (or her).” Well, that sums up my feelings about Bradley Johnson, the young golfer from Spain Park High School who died tragically in a car accident last year.I heard many wonderful things about him upon his death and many more in the past few weeks, leading up to the first Bradley Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament, which concludes today at the Legacy Course at Greystone Golf and Country Club.An hour-long conversation with his parents, Hugh and Shari Johnson, last week, convinced me that I wish I had gotten to know him.
“Bradley was very unusual,” Hugh Johnson said. “Growing up around golf, at an early age, he was very mature. He could talk to adults the way adults talk to each other. He wasn’t intimidated just because he was younger.“After he died, all the kids came up to us and said, ‘Bradley was my best friend.’ He had friends in all walks of life. He didn’t care whether you were big, tall, fat, whatever. Nothing about you made any impression. His nature was to have a smile on his face.”
As Hugh Johnson talked, I could sense Bradley was very much a people person who was able to make others feel comfortable around him. In other words, he was my kind of guy.And although he was one of top junior golfers in the nation, he was never smug about it.“He didn’t talk much about his golf,” Hugh Johnson said. “He was a Rolex All-American and (Spain Park golf) Coach (Al) Del Greco found out it about from somebody else.
“He loved golf and he loved life. Everything he could, he made a game out of it. He was real good about taking things in stride. Win or lose, it didn’t make him feel more important or the other person less important.“Bradley told me the best part of playing golf was meeting people and making friends. He said he couldn’t play with someone for 4 ½-5 hours and not speak to them. He said, ‘I’m going to enjoy this.’ On the days he didn’t get to do that, he didn’t enjoy it much.”
As outgoing and personable as he was, Bradley Johnson also was a serious golfer who rarely lost his concentration on the course.
“Bradley was able to focus in 30-second intervals,” Hugh Johnson said. “Sometimes in match play, you’d have to play 36 holes in a day and would be on the course for nine-to-10 hours. He could hit a shot, then talk to the other player or the caddy and then focus for 30 seconds on his next shot. I think that’s what kept him fresh mentally for 10 hours. It was almost unfair.”
Also, seemingly unfair was Bradley Johnson’s death at only 17 years of age. It makes you wonder why. The first anniversary of his death was Sunday. His parents understandably are still coming to grips with the loss of their son. “There are times I want to lie down and quit,” Hugh Johnson said. “If it weren’t for the grace of God, I couldn’t make it through this.”
As a dad myself, I can commiserate, but knowing your child lived a life worth living and was a blessing to you and others brings comfort in sorrow.And knowing that Bradley Johnson lived that kind of life makes me wish even more that I had known him.
Rubin E. Grant may be reached at rubin@hoovergazette.com.
Golfers honor Johnson at Tournament
By ANDY LEONARD
Gazette Staff Writer
Relationships can last forever.
If one word was needed to summarize the first Bradley Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament, it could be relationships. At every turn golfers, volunteers and guests remembered and retold stories of Bradley Johnson, a Spain Park golfer who was killed in a car accident in March 2006.
Thirteen teams and 83 golfers participated in the two-day event at the Legacy Course at Greystone Golf and Country Club. Most of them had a close relationship with Johnson. “It’s very emotional for a lot of these boys,” Bradley’s mother Shari Johnson said shortly after the golfers teed off last week. “Bradley’s friendship goes back as far as kindergarten with some of these kids. They started out playing baseball at Hoover Park East and played football, basketball, ping-pong, went to church and summer camp together. It’s very emotional.”
A video was shown at the dinner last Wednesday night. It included photos and home videos of Johnson and interviews with family, friends and Spain Park personnel. All of the interviews were conducted separately, but each had the same recurring theme: Johnson’s relationships with other people, whether on the golf course or in the school hallways.
“Any of us who knew Bradley were blessed,” Spain Park athletic director Gena Morris said. “He was just an awesome kid.”
Oak Mountain golfer Jeff Goozee summed up the tournament best when he accepted the medalist honors. “This is not about shooting low scores. It’s all about Bradley,” Goozee said. Goozee was the only golfer to shoot below 70 on Thursday with a 3-under-par 69. He finished the tournament at 2-under.
Lowery Thomas, an Auburn golfer who has committed to play at Georgia and was one of Johnson’s best friends on the junior golfing circuit, was honored to play in the event. “It’s different than anything else. I’m playing for one of my best friends,” Thomas said. “It’s fun to come out here and celebrate Bradley’s life. He was such a great person and a great golfer and just an awesome person to be around.”
Emotions were high during the tournament, especially for the Spain Park golf team. “(Wednesday) was really hard for all of us,” Spain Park senior Scott Barnes said. “I kind of got all of my emotions out (Wednesday and Wednesday night) so (Thursday) was a lot easier. “I just hope that (the tournament) continues to grow and get better and become more of the tournament it needs to be and deserves to be.”
The Johnsons gave $2,000 of the tournament proceeds to the Greystone Outreach Legacy Fund (GOLF) for their gracious hospitality in helping with the event. The remaining funds will go to the Bradley Johnson Memorial Foundation.
The BJMF was started in June 2006 to help provide financial resources for junior golfers and scholarships for college. “They have (junior golf) tournaments all year round that are cost prohibitive for a lot of people,” Shari Johnson said. “We just wanted to offer assistance.” Final counts from the tournament were not readily available. Prior to the tournament, the Foundation had raised more than $30,000.
Johnson’s infectious personality and wide smile made him a likeable young man. People did not need to know him very long to like him. Russell Whiteford, board member at Longmeadow (Mass.) Country Club and co-chairman of the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur, spoke at the dinner. Johnson finished as the runner-up of the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur at Longmeadow and made a big impression on Whiteford and the staff and volunteers during that week. Johnson was respected and well-liked because of his “Thank yous” and “Yes ma’ams.” A remarkable birdie during the final match of the Junior Amateur spread his name even farther. Johnson holed out a chip shot from the rough beyond the green for birdie after taking a penalty stroke in the fairway on the par-5 10th hole at Longmeadow.
“The buzz got around the club that this kid was out of sight; that this was the most incredible birdie ever made at Longmeadow Country Club,” Whiteford remembered. Longmeadow hosted a one-day memorial golf tournament in September and raised more than $11,000 for the BJMF. “We had only met Bradley for one week,” Whiteford said. “Our members may have only met him in passing, but the support they gave showed the effect this young man had on people’s lives.”
A plaque was placed at the spot where Johnson’s shot occurred.
Mary Bea Porter-King also met Johnson at the 2005 Junior Amateur. She has played on the LPGA Tour and served on the USGA Executive Committee. She currently serves on the USGA Junior Championship and Regional Associates Committee. “I’m always going to remember his smile,” Porter-King said. “Bradley really represented everything that is good in the game.”
Hoover senior Cory Gilmer carded a first-round 67 to lead after one round. He finished the tournament tied for third at even par. “(Johnson) drove us all to try and get better because he was a really good player,” Gilmer said.
Another Hoover golfer, Ryan King, donned a Spain Park visor during the tournament. King got the visor the day after Johnson’s death and has worn it at every tournament since. He and Johnson grew up playing baseball together at Hoover East.
“It was tough out there playing,” King said. “But I was trying to remember he wouldn’t want us to be out there upset.”
Briarwood senior Rosson Anderson, the defending Class 5A individual state champion, finished in a tie for fifth at 1-over-par. Anderson said he and Johnson had some competitive matches in the seven years knowing each other.
“It means a lot to see all these people here to show appreciation for his life,” Anderson said. “You can sense it’s a different tournament. Everyone is smiling, there’s tears but there’s smiles.”
The tournament showed that Johnson had great relationships with many people. Those relationships will only grow as younger golfers are helped through the BJMF. “He always wanted to help other people, whether it be sports or school,” Shari Johnson said. “He just learned early on that golf was about relationships, actually all the sports he played were about relationships, and not about winning. What you take away from the game was more important that whether you won or lost.”
Andy Leonard may be reached at andy@hoovergazette.com or 979-6397.
The
Southeastern Junior Golf Tour recently held a fundraiser for the Bradley
Johnson Memorial Foundation. At their Second Annual 4-Ball Championship
in Auburn, Alabama, "Birdies for Bradley" was held. Players
were asked to enlist donors to pledge a dollar amount per birdie made
during the tournament. More than $1000 was generated through the effort
of the junior golfers that participated.
Pictured from left to right are: Michael Johnson & Lowery Thomas
Bradley
Johnson's memory endures through junior golf foundation
by Hoover Gazette Staff
Bradley Johnson's life was tragically cut short by an automobile
accident in March 2006, but his legacy lives on thanks to his parents
and many others who’ve contributed to a foundation that bears
his name.
The Spain Park High School junior was a cum laude student and a
three-year letterman on the varsity golf team. Bradley also earned
recognition as Student of the Month, Freshmen Athlete of the Year,
Rotary Athlete of the Week, and The Birmingham News Athlete of the
Week. He was a nationally ranked junior golfer and a highly sought-after
Division One college recruit. He was runner-up in the 2005 United
States Golf Association Junior Amateur Championship, and he was
selected as an AJGA Rolex All-American in 2005. Bradley also was
an active member of the Shades Mountain Baptist Church Youth Ministry.
After his death, his parents, Hugh and Shari Johnson, established
the Bradley Johnson Memorial Foundation to help provide financial
resources for junior golfers, including the funding of junior golfing
tournaments and scholarship money to further their education following
high school. The non-profit organization is particularly warranted
given that golf tournament entry fees and travel expenses can reach
into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
In August 2006, Longmeadow Country Club in Massachusetts the site
of Bradley's second-place U.S. Junior Amateur finish held a benefit
tournament for the Bradley Johnson Foundation. The tournament raised
$10,000 and was followed by a memorial service for Bradley.
The inaugural Spain Park High School Bradley Johnson Memorial Golf
Tournament will be held March 28-29 at Greystone Golf Club, with
proceeds going to the foundation. Al Del Greco is the tournament
chairman. Contributions to the foundation may be sent to: Bradley
Johnson Memorial Foundation, P.O. Box 3933, Auburn, Ala., 36831.
For more information, call (205) 995-9271.
Don Milazzo is managing editor of The Hoover Gazette. He may be
reached via email at
don@hoovergazette.com.
Pictured from left to right
are: John Grass, Head Football Coach; Shari Johnson, Hugh Johnson,Keith
Scott, Booster President;Gena Morris, Athletic Director; Billy Broadway,
Principal.
More Competition for Spirt golfers
Monday, June 27, 2005
More competition for Spirit golfers
Event prepares for switch from 3 rounds to a 4-round tourney
By Bradley Handwerger
DAILY Sports Writer
bhandwerger@decaturdaily.com · 340-2462
For the first time since 1970, the Spirit of America golf tournament
at Burningtree Country Club will undergo a major change.
The tournament this year will cover 72 holes, which is 18 more than
any previous year. It's the first significant overhaul to the tournament
since organizers added a collegiate division 35 years ago, only three
years after the tournament began.
Burningtree golf professional Jim Settles said he's ready for the
tournament to take a step forward.
"We're a points tournament," Settles said. "Golf Week/Titleist
sponsor the points system for the national amateur rankings. We are
a 20-point tournament. That's in the middle. Our goal is to get to
50 points."
The Dogwood Invitational in Atlanta is a 50-point tournament, which
means the winner can gain 50 points toward the individual amateur
rankings. The winner of the Spirit of America will gain 20 points.
To increase the point level, the tournament needed to add an extra
day of competition. So, the tournament will end with its usual Sunday
finale. However, the tournament now begins a day early on Thursday.
A practice round will be Wednesday.
That means the tournament, which has hosted such notables as PGA
Tour professionals Andy Bean, Stewart Cink, Spike McRoy and Heath
Slocum, will be different from anything they ever saw.
Instead, Settles said he's now looking to get in players like former
Clemson All-American D.J. Trahan or former Georgia Tech standout and
current PGA player Matt Kuchar.
"We think with the scholarship available, a golf coach, even
if it's Oklahoma State, surely they could use $6,000 for their golf
program," Settles said.
The scholarship program is something that began in 2000. Last year,
it raised $6,000 for the top collegiate duo in the Spirit of America
tournament. This year, an undetermined total will be split between
the top collegiate finishers.
Of the 125 entrants in this year's tournament, Settles said 85 are
college players representing 30 different schools. In all, 13 states
and Australia are represented.
While none of the players entered are ranked in the national top
150, Settles said he thinks the changes to 72 holes and the scholarship
program eventually will lead to better players each year.
"We think eventually we'll gain some of those top 100 players
and be at that 50-point level," Settles said.
The big question at this point, though, is whether the golf course
will get into the shape Settles said he wants it.
"May was a very bad month for Bermuda grass," Settles said,
noting that the humidity was low and the temperatures weren't hot.
"Within the last three or four weeks, we've had really good Bermuda
grass weather and the course is really coming on strong."
In the last three weeks, the weather has been more to Settles' liking,
with highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s and a decent amount of humidity.
Because of that, Settles said he thinks the course will be fine by
Saturday's third round.
"We think we'll be there by this weekend and by next weekend,
it will be in great shape," Settles said.
So who is in the tournament this year?
Decatur native and Samford University player Andrew Villarreal will
be back to try and defend his collegiate pairs title to bring more
money back to the Birmingham school's golf program.
Past champions David Jeans and Dave Apperson will play as will Bradley
Johnson, a Spain Park High 16-year-old who finished tied for fifth
at the recent state amateur.
But the player to watch, Settles said, is Samford's Bradley Farmer,
who won the Ohio Valley Conference championship on the same course
in April.
Spirit of America
golf tournament
When:Thursday through Sunday.
Where:Burningtree CountryClub.
Format:72 holes over four rounds.
Who:The field includes 125 golfers,
including 85 college players.
Forever smiling
All will remember Bradley Johnson
for his outlook on life and golf
At last summer's U.S. Junior
Amateur, eventual runner-up Bradley Johnson flew an approach to the
ninth hole through the green, directly behind a television tower.
His father, Hugh, looked at me and shook his head. I did the same.
Bradley only smiled as
he walked toward his ball, and then took relief that offered no shot
at the flag.
After pitching his ball
at least 30 feet right of the cup, Bradley rolled in his par putt
like he knew it was going to happen, sending the gallery at Longmeadow
Country Club roaring and laughing.
"We call that a Bradley
Par," said Hugh, now smiling and patting me on the back, as proud
as he should have been.
I soon learned that when
it came to Bradley, that was usually the only way you could describe
such things.
"Bradley was just
Bradley," said Lowery Thomas, one of his best friends. "My
mom and I always used to talk about that. He just had this personality
you couldn't really describe."
Bradley was killed March
25 when the 2004 Chevy Blazer he was driving was hit by a tractor
trailer at an intersection near Lay Lake in Shelby County, Ala. He
died at the scene, leaving his family, friends and community heartbroken,
and the golf world without a chance to really get to know him. (The
two boys in the car with Bradley survived, and were pallbearers at
his funeral.)
Lowery's 18th birthday
was March 30, two days after Bradley's funeral. It didn't make much
sense to him. "It's kind of a weird situation to be around my
birthday and have to deal with this," he said, taking a deep
breath.
It didn't make much sense
to anyone.
Bradley was 17, a junior
at Spain Park High School and according to his golf coach, Al Del
Greco, "more or less the standard that everyone on our team tried
to live up to." He had an infectious personality and a strong
sense of what life was all about. If you met Bradley, you liked Bradley.
If you knew Bradley, you were better for it.
"Most of the time
he was in a really, really, really good mood, but even on the days
when he wasn't at his best, he wasn't going to bring you down with
the stuff that he said," Del Greco said. "He knew he was
good, but he didn't walk around acting like he was better than everybody
else, and didn't walk around telling everybody what he had accomplished.
. . . He would rather have (his teammates) play well and be happy
for them than worry about how they felt about how he played."
Del Greco said he learned
of most of Bradley's golf achievements only after reading his obituary
in the newspaper. The Spain Park golf team was to play its next match
with a lineup of only four players, keeping the top spot vacant in
honor of Bradley.
The night after Bradley's
accident, a steady stream of people, young and old, filed through
the Johnson house in Birmingham to visit with Bradley's parents (Hugh
and Shari) and 12-year-old brother Michael.
"There are so many
people that love them . . . and I'm gonna guess at any one time there
would have been 50 or 60 people in the house," said Hank Johnson
(no relation), Bradley's swing coach since he was 10.
Visitation hours at Shades
Mountain Baptist Church were scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. March 28,
but the Johnsons spent more than four hours greeting everyone.
"It was just unbelievable
the amount of love and respect and friendship that was in the church
for a young man that was only 17 years old, and the amount of people
he touched and the amount of people that he influenced I think was
evident by the amount of people that showed up," Del Greco said.
An estimated 1,500 people
attended the funeral the next day.
"He was close to so
many people, he was just the kind of kid that just had that charisma,
that smile, that sparkle in his eyes," Hank Johnson said. "He
had it all."
I first met Bradley and
his family at last year's U.S. Junior, where it struck me immediately
how happy they all were just to be there. It was certainly a whirlwind
week – one memory I have is of Hugh, Shari and Michael being
interviewed by The Golf Channel behind the 10th green during one of
Bradley's Friday matches – and no one seemed to be soaking it
up more than the Johnson family. It also stuck with me, long after
the Junior, how well Bradley had kept things in perspective that week.
"Ten, 15, 20 years from now," he said after his semifinal
victory, "(I will) look back on this as one of the greatest experiences
of (my) life."
It was a few months before
I saw him again in November at the Polo Junior Golf Classic in Sea
Island, Ga. Bradley, who played and loved all the big sports, had
spent the last month going on recruiting trips (several with Lowery)
and attending big-time college football games. He actually had left
for Sea Island straight from the Auburn-Georgia postgame tailgate
party.
"I haven't been playing
as much as these other guys, just because I'm a big college football
fan," he told me after struggling to a first-round 75. "Those
are things you gotta take advantage of when you can, because you can't
do that all your life."
Again, the perspective.
Twenty minutes later, as
I walked out of tournament headquarters, I saw Bradley and his father
busy facing off on the arcade basketball shooting game set up in the
player's lounge.
Two days after the accident,
Hank Johnson told me there were three things I needed to know about
Bradley. "He loved God, he loved his family and he made every
day count," he said. "I mean, he lived every day like it
might be the last one – I don't think that was his thought."
But that was Bradley. That
always had been Bradley.
When Auburn coach Mike
Griffin first met Bradley as a youngster at an Auburn golf camp, he
figured Bradley was destined for success, "just because you always
saw that little friendly smile on his face first thing," said
Griffin. "You just knew he was going to have some form of success,
just because he was happy with what he was doing. I don't think I
ever saw Bradley miserable on the golf course. Even on his worst day,
he was trying to gain something from it."
Bradley was a big Auburn
fan. Both his parents went there, and Griffin had been bumping into
him on campus and at athletic events for "many, many years."
Bradley's friend Lowery also lived in Auburn, so there was always
a place to stay.
"Whether he was coming
down to see us on an unofficial visit or not, he was here at every
game that was a game of some account," Griffin said.
Still, Bradley hadn't decided
what college to attend. Bradley and Lowery had made a promise years
ago that they would play college golf together – "That's
just something we both liked thinking about," Lowery said –
and for both it had come down to Auburn and Georgia.
"And who he played
college golf with was very important to him," Hank Johnson said.
The Thursday before the
accident, Bradley's father called Hank to tell him that Lowery had
committed to Georgia. It wasn't a surprise, because Lowery wanted
to go away to college. That same night, however, Bradley called Griffin,
and had "without question, the best conversation that we had
had to that particular point in time," Griffin said.
If you knew Bradley, it
was hard to pick against Auburn, the family ties, the passion.
"I knew Bradley, and
he was always a die-hard Auburn fan and he loved this place,"
Lowery said. "I felt like even if I do go (to Georgia), I felt
like Bradley was going to come to (Auburn) no matter what."
If anything bothered Bradley,
it was probably this decision. I suspect he didn't want to disappoint
anyone.
"We'd all like to
think this or think that, and obviously I know where his heart was,
and we would like to think that with all probability he was leaning
toward our school, but I might never know," said Griffin, pausing
slightly. "One of these days, I'm going to ask him. And I'm looking
forward to that day."
For Griffin, Bradley's
accident rekindled disturbing memories. Six years ago, incoming Auburn
recruit Joe King was killed in an automobile accident near the start
of the fall semester. "That one was rough," Griffin said.
In his memory, Auburn High School started the Joe King Memorial Tournament.
On March 13, Bradley played
in the final round of this year's Joe King Memorial. He bogeyed the
last hole, but still shot 67 and won. "Kind of eerie," Lowery
said.
Still hurting from an injured
shoulder he'd banged up playing basketball, Bradley, a 2005 AJGA Rolex
third-team All-American, hadn't touched a club for more than a week
until three days before the tournament. Didn't matter.
"He loved to play,
didn't really care to practice so much, but he'd go out and just get
it done," said Lowery, who was also Bradley's regular four-ball
partner.
The pair last played together
March 18 at Valdosta (Ga.) Country Club in the Georgia-Alabama Challenge
Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event featuring nine high schools from each
state. They lost, 1 down, despite each shooting 2 under on their own
balls.
It would be Bradley's last
competitive round.
"We got done and we
just smiled at each other because we played pretty good, it was a
tough course, and we just weren't able to win," Lowery said.
In the end, win or lose,
there was always that smile. That was just Bradley.
That's what we should remember.
• • •
Eric Soderstrom is a Golfweek
assistant editor. To reach him e-mail esoderstrom@golfweek.com>.
Bradley
Johnson - November 16,1988- March 25,2006 - 6/14/2006
Bradley Johnson
General Article
Bradley Johnson of Birmingham,AL passed away on
Saturday, March 25, 2006, at the age of 17. He was a Junior at Spain
Park High School where he was a Cum Laude Honor Student, a member
of TNT and was a Peer Helper. He played Jr. Varsity Basketball for
2 years and was a 3 year letterman with the Spain Park Golf Team.
Bradley had been Student of the Month, Freshman Athlete of the Year,
Rotary Athlete of the Week, and the Birmingham News Athlete of the
Week. He loved sports of all kinds and played baseball for years at
Hoover East Ball Park. Bradley planned to play golf professionally
one day having played in the 2005 U.S. Amateur and also making it
to the final stage of qualifiying for the U.S. Open. A Nationally-Ranked
Jr. Golfer, he was in the Top 10 in the country and finished second
in the U.S. Jr. Amateur Golf Tournament. A Division One Golf Recruit,
Bradley was a member of the USGA, Alabama Golf Association, AJGA Tour
Member, SJGT Tour Member and Rolex All-American. He was also an avid
fisherman, hunter and a former member of the Birmingham Backpaddlers
Association. Bradley was a member of Shades Mountain Baptist Church
Student Ministry.
He is survived by his parents, Hugh and Shari Johnson of Birmingham;
a brother, Michael Johnson of Birmingham; grandparents, Robert C.
Johnson, Sr. of Decatur and Charlotte C. Adams of Birmingham; Aunts
and Uncles, Margaret and Kenn Whitmyer of Columbus, OH, Robert C.
Johnson, Jr. and Pam of Decatur, Janet and Christopher Taylor of Peachtree
City, GA, Frank and Marcia Kearly of Baltimore, MD, and Michael and
Vicky McCarthy of Birmingham, cousins and extended family.
The family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 28, 2006, from 5:00
to 8:00 p.m. at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. Funeral services will
be on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at 11:00 a.m. at the church with
Rev. Rick Swing and Dr. Charles T. Carter officiating. Pallbearers
will be Brian Cagle, Chris Taylor, Robert Johnson, Jr., Travis Grote,
Matt Edmonds, Al Delgreco,Wade Steed, and Jerry Prater. Honorary pallbearers
will be the Spain Park High School Golf Team.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to a scholarship
fund to be established through the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour,
in care of Todd Thompson, SJGT, PO Box 3933, Auburn, AL 36831 Interment
will follow in Jefferson Memorial Gardens, South. Currie-Jefferson
Funeral directing.
Don't let Johnson's age fool you - he can play
By MICHAEL WETZEL
Assistant Sports Editor
Decatur Daily
He played 36 pressure-packed holes of golf Wednesday and 18 more
Thursday. At a young 16, Birmingham's Bradley Johnson said the fatigue
factor is a non-factor.
"I could have shot better," Johnson said after posting
a 73 in the opening round of the Spirit of America tournament on the
par-71 Burningtree Country Club Course on Thursday.
"I was 3 over after the first four holes, maybe a bit excited
about yesterday, but I settled down and came in at 2 over."
Johnson, who will be a junior at Spain Park High School, had good
reason to be a bit distracted. He posted a 70-69 on Wednesday, and
his 139 total gave him medalist honors in the Alabama qualifier for
the 58th U.S. Junior Amateur.
That placed him in the field for the national tournament in Longmeadow,
Mass., on July 18-23. Only four of the 80 golfers at the West Course
of the Country Club of Birmingham advanced.
Johnson is making his second trip to the prestigious event. Last
year, he made the stroke-play cut into the round of 16 match play.
"Just making it back to the U.S. Junior Amateur gives me confidence,"
he said. "Only 157 golfers under 18 qualify for that event."
It is Johnson's first time playing at the Spirit. He wanted to play
last year but, according to tournament rules, was too young.
"He was ready last year," said Bob Johnson, Bradley's grandfather
and a Burningtree member. "He had the credentials, but not old
enough. I asked the committee for a special exemption but was denied."
He may be the youngest in the Spirit field of 150, but should not
be taken lightly. He said he is playing the Spirit for experience
and for his granddad. But he wouldn't mind winning.
"It's a fun tourney," he said. "The course is in great
shape and the greens are rolling good. That front nine out here is
rough. "If somebody can make the turn about 1 under or even par,
they have a shot at posting a good number. My granddaddy wanted me
to play here, and I want to play more state tournaments.
Golf
star's bright future snuffed out
By MICHAEL WETZEL
Assistant Sports Editor
Decatur Daily
Two springtimes ago, Decatur's Bob C. Johnson Sr. had a question no, a personal desire for the Spirit of America golf tournament committee.
Like all proud grandfathers, he yearned for his 15-year-old grandson from Birmingham, Bradley Johnson, to play in the prestigious amateur event at Burningtree Country Club. Bob knew Bradley could play with the top amateurs.
Saturday, Bradley, 17, died in a two-car accident in Shelby County.
In its 37th year, the tournament had an age restriction in its bylaws. Golfers must be at least 16 when they tee off. Bob, a longtime member at Burningtree, didn't like the chances of his request for his son's son.
Committee members remember Bob's plea.
"We wanted to let him in," said Jim O'Hara, Spirit committee member and Burningtree treasurer. "We looked at bending the rules for him. It was not a usual case of a grandfather or a dad wanting their kid to play. We knew Bradley was a very good golfer, even at 15. We couldn't find a way to let him in."
Burningtree golf pro and committee member Jim Settles recalled the discussion. "We all felt like he was a special case at 15. His reputation as a quality golfer was well-known. But we didn't want to go against the tradition of the tournament. If we made an exception for Bradley, we would be seeing more requests down the line and we didn't want to compromise the event."
Said O'Hara: "Bob wasn't upset. He understood the rules of the tournament."
So it wasn't until June 30 of last year in the 38th Spirit that Bob's grandson hit his first shot amongst the field of amateurs.
Seventy-two holes later, eighth place stood beside Bradley's name. One-hundred thirty-nine golfers finished behind the son of Hugh, a 1974 Austin High graduate, and Shari Johnson.
He won the tournament's junior championship among the 16- and 17-year-old golfers.
During the four-day tournament, the shadow of Bob's golf cart was never far behind the youngster.
"He was ready last year," Bob told me during the first round. "He had the credentials, but not old enough."
The youngster even surprised the club's golf pro. "Normally, golfers who have been in the Spirit before do better than the first-timers," Settles said. "Finishing eighth his first year here really surprised me. I really believe Bradley would have won this thing in a few years. He was focused and goal-driven."
Bradley had nothing but praise for the Burningtree course and tournament committee after his first-round 71, which placed him 54th. He wasn't content with the even-par score, but the mild-mannered Birmingham honor student had an answer he lived by. "You can't win a tournament on the first day, but you sure can lose one."
Three weeks after his Spirit appearance, it was the Golf Channel's television cameras shadowing Bradley's every move in the finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in Longmeadow, Mass. Bradley didn't play bad. Kevin Tway, son of PGA veteran Bob Tway, beat Bradley in the match-play finals 5 and 3.
Bradley seemed to know more opportunities at big titles were in his life's path.
Family, friends and coaches ensured him. Press clippings pointed that direction. But sometimes bad things happen to good people.
Tonight, visitation will be at the Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham from 5-8. The funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m.
"I get ill thinking about it," said Tom Flowe, Burningtree general manager on Monday. "I'm just numb."
Those paying their last respects to Bradley will feel like Flowe.
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