AACC’s Men’s Golf Team Going To Division II National Tournament

Anne Arundel Community College’s (AACC) Division II men’s golf team recently captured championships in both the Maryland Junior College (JUCO) and Region 20 golf tournaments.

The team is led by two Severna Park brothers, Ryan Brophy and Tim Brophy, as well as Arnold resident Darren Hoffman.

“This team is extremely talented and they just love to play golf,” said head coach Dave O’Donnell. “We had 11 golfers join the team this year, and this is our first year that we moved up to the Division II level.”

Their love for golf was tested early and often this spring as the team had to conquer continuous weather challenges.

“This year has been exceptional for our golf team with the remarkable achievements in our first season at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II level,” said Hillary Fisher, assistant athletic director for communications. “The team faced inclement weather conditions throughout the spring, including a match in the rain, but persevered throughout the season.”

The Riverhawks won the Maryland JUCO title by 17 strokes with three of their golfers finishing in the top five. They continued their stellar play by winning the Region 20 tournament by 29 strokes.

In the regional tournament, Ryan Brophy was the overall champion with a score of one over par, and younger brother Tim Brophy finished second with a score of four over par. Hoffman finished in sixth place with 19 over par.

The Brophy brothers began playing golf at a young age. “I believe I was 2 years old when I was putting golf balls into plastic cups and was 5 when my dad took me to Queenstown and Eisenhower golf courses to play,” Ryan Brophy said. “My dad also placed me in the Baltimore area’s Elite Players Tour from when I was 7 to 12 years old.”

Tim, who is six years younger than Ryan, started young as well. He remembers playing in the Baltimore Classic Five Courses (Clifton Park, Carroll, Mount Pleasant, Forest Park and Pine Ridge) in tournaments throughout his childhood summers.

Ryan Brophy played golf at AACC in 2018 and then set out to gain as much knowledge about the game of golf as possible. He began caddying at many prestigious golf courses throughout America, including Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

“I always wanted to be on the same golf team as Tim, so when the opportunity came up to play at AACC, I came home,” Ryan Brophy said. “This has been the coolest thing ever, to play on the same team with my brother.”

Hoffman played golf at Broadneck and his dad, Matt, is the head pro at the Golf Club at South River in Edgewater. That golf course is AACC’s home golf course as well.

These three golfers all rely on different strengths in their game to carry them throughout these tournaments. Ryan Brophy’s forte is his putting acumen while Tim Brophy and Hoffman use their outstanding iron game to get them closer to the pin.

As these golfers play in these tournaments, they may play up to 36 holes per day. All of the golfers said that they have to stay hydrated and carry food with them to maintain their stamina.

“I always have Gatorade, water, subs and snacks in my bag,” Ryan Brophy said. “I just nibble all day.”

The other aspect of the tournament is the mental challenge that golfers endure.

“You really need to be locked in for five hours for these 18-hole tournaments and that’s difficult if you make a bad shot or miss a putt,” Hoffman said.

In late May, the Riverhawks golf team will compete in the national Division II tournament at the Chautauqua Golf Club in western New York.

O’Donnell believes his team will represent the college well in the national tournament. “The better the course, the better they play,” O’Donnell said. “I believe they will rise to the challenge.”

Because of the great turnout for the golf team this year, O’Donnell is planning to add an AACC women’s team in 2025. That might become a popular decision around campus.

“I’m thrilled by our golf team’s success,” said AACC’s director of athletics, Duane Herr. “It’s a testament to the hard work of our student-athletes and coaching staff as well as an indicator of the great talent within our community.”