Green River Community College freshman Broc Johnson is the best golfer in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC).

On Monday, the Todd Beamer High School graduate captured the NWAACC individual championship at the Gold Mountain Golf Course in Bremerton. The freshman won the two-day tournament by four strokes. The first day of competition was held at McCormick Woods Country Club in Gig Harbor.

The win was even sweeter for Johnson, who was a two-time state runner up during his career at Beamer. During the NWAACC regular season, Johnson was defeated three times in sudden-death playoffs despite being named an All-NWAACC first-team selection by the league’s coaches.

After an opening round 73 at McCormick Woods, Johnson earned a spot in the final group of the tournament just one stroke behind the leader.

On the second day at Gold Mountain, Johnson caught leader Graham Schmaltz from Spokane Community College after he bogeyed. With three holes to play, Johnson was flawless down the stretch, taking command with a birdie on the 17th hole. He parred the 18th to shoot the only 69 of the two-day tournament.

As a team, the Gator men surged behind Johnson’s championship effort for a 30-stroke improvement from the first day at McCormick Woods to the last at Gold Mountain. The solid second day moved Green River from fourth place to second behind defending-champion Spokane.

The Gators last finished in second as a team in 2007. The last time a Green River golfer won the individual NWAACC title was in 2000 by Steve Knoppi.