BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Former Valdosta State men's golf national champion Briny Baird was inducted into the Gulf South Conference Hall of Fame, announced Monday by the league office.  He is the sixth Blazer to be inducted into the league's Hall of Fame.
 
"The Gulf South Conference is built by amazing individuals committed to outstanding institutions and this Hall of Fame class is a great example," said GSC Commissioner Matt Wilson. "We are excited to honor another group of influential former student-athletes and administrators this June."
 
Baird was one of five announced in the GSC Hall of Fame Class of 2022.  Baird, joins Delta State's Warren (Scott) Eyster, Christian Brothers' Missy Gregg, West Florida's Courtney Jones and Alabama Huntsville's Audrey Williams.  Baird is the second men's golfer to be inducted into the GSC Hall of Fame, as West Florida's Kevin Warrick was inducted in 2019.
 
This marks the fourth-straight year a Blazer has been inducted into the Hall of Fame with Marti Littlefield in 2018, Dusty Bonner in 2019, Morgan Faulk in 2020 and now Baird in 2022.  There wasn't a GSC Hall of Fame in 2021. Former VSU baseball coach Tommy Thomas was inducted in 2015 and former Blazer quarterback and head coach Chris Hatcher was inducted in the inaugural class in 2014.
 
Baird won two NCAA Division II Individual Men's Golf National Titles in 1994 and 1995.  He led VSU to back-to-back national tournament appearances in 1994 and 1995, while he was a two-time, First Team All-America selection and Arnold Palmer Award winner in both 1994 and 1995.
 
He went onto play on the PGA Tour from 2001 to 2014, with six runner-up finishes and 31 top ten finishes on tour.  Baird was inducted into the VSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and, while he was at VSU, he was named GSC Golfer of the Year in 1994 and was the GSC medalist that season.  He earned First Team All-GSC honors in both 1994 and 1995, while he won a school-record nine tournaments for his career at VSU and was below par in 25 of 45 career rounds.

"Through the years, Briny has continued to support the Blazers," VSU head coach Jared Purvis said.  "He has hosted the team several times at his house for dinners and he is only a phone call away if they want advice from a PGA Tour veteran."
 
Baird arguably is one of the most decorated golfers in league history and is the only GSC golfer to win the national championship twice.  He also became the first GSC men's golfer to play in the Masters.  
 
"Briny is arguably the most outstanding golfer in the history of our program," VSU Director of Athletics Herb Reinhard said. "His two individual national titles speak for themselves, but one thing I remember at one of championships, there was long rain delay during a round. After the delay was over, he and his two playing partners came back out and the other two guys sprayed their initial drives and ended up with bogeys for the hole. Briny got up there and hit a great ball straight down the fairway and I believe ended up with a birdie on the hole, showing his focus and determination to overcome adversity with a rain delay and pick up right where he stopped prior to the delay."