Jackson, Miss. - One of the most successful athletes in the history of the Northeast Mississippi Community College golf program has received another prestigious accolade as his outstanding career in Booneville comes to a close.
Alex Tull was selected to the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) All-State team for a second consecutive season with the Tigers.
"It takes a good person to do what Alex did and he's a great young man," said Northeast head coach Mark Hatfield. "You have to come in and be an impact fast and furious. He did an outstanding job. I couldn't be more proud.
"The one thing Alex has that you can't teach is distance. He can hit it 340-350 (yards) off the tee. The other thing he has is an incredible touch around the greens. He's practiced long hours and he's really seeing the fruits of that work."
The Alcorn Central High School graduate proved to be very consistent while at Northeast. Tull placed among the top 20 in the overall standings during all but one of the 15 total matches that he participated in.
Tull opened his sophomore campaign by shooting a two-under-par 142 at Hinds Community College to finish just one shot shy of a three-way stalemate at the peak of the leaderboard. It was the third top five showing of his tenure at Northeast.
He was solid during two separate events in his own backyard at the Shiloh Ridge Athletic Club. Tull tied for ninth at even-par 144 during the second MACJC regular season tour stop in September.
Tull and the Tigers returned to Corinth to welcome teams from across the league for the MACJC State Tournament from April 16-17. He once again landed near the pinnacle of the individual scoring list by tying for seventh place.
His last outing for Northeast was at the 2016 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 Tournament. Tull recorded his seventh top 10 finish with a two-day score of 153 at Back Acres Country Club.
Tull completed his final campaign in the City of Hospitality with the eighth best scoring average in the Magnolia State. He averaged 74.5 strokes per round during conference play for the Tigers.
"A lot of good has come to me the last two years," Tull said. "It just went by really fast. I played good and that was really my expectation coming in. I had a great time and enjoyed it."
Tull cemented his legacy at Northeast with a phenomenal freshman season. He was tabbed as a NJCAA All-American and a PING All-Central Region selection to go with his MACJC All-State laurels.
He qualified for the 2015 NJCAA Division II National Tournament in Scottsboro, Ala., at the pristine Goose Pond Colony Resort. Tull concluded the four-day event in a stalemate for 13th place following a 68-73-71-73—285 to garner All-Tournament recognition.
Tull became the first Tiger to claim medalist honors in five years when he drained a six-foot putt on the 475-yard No. 18 at the Dancing Rabbit Golf Club to defeat Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Grant Motter by one shot in March 2015.
He extended his sensational play into the next tournament during his inaugural campaign at Northeast. Tull tied for the number one position with Jacob Ross of Copiah-Lincoln Community College in an event hosted by Northwest Mississippi Community College.
Tull will represent the Tigers and showcase his skills at the professional level by ending his amateur status and enrolling in the Emerald Coast Golf Tour, which features stops in the states of Alabama, Florida and Mississippi on an annual basis from March through September.
"It's what I've always wanted to do and I'm blessed to be able to continue my dream," said Tull. "I've got people that support my decisions and I'm glad I have that. Not everybody has that luxury. I'm not going to take it for granted."
Tull becomes the second former Northeast standout to currently play on the Emerald Coast Golf Tour. He joins Chase Williams, who was a NJCAA All-American for the Tigers in 2007.