Stuart Thomas and his mother, Brigham, headed home from Chattanooga and knew he would continue his golf career at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
The junior at Farragut High School near Knoxville committed to play for the Mocs beginning in the fall of 2013.
"I was telling everybody around here that I'm going to go with my gut, and both of us felt such at home and loved the program," Thomas said Monday. "I had a good feeling about it, and knowing some of the guys on the team when I got there was nice."
Thomas's swing coach is Brad Rose, who also teaches two current Mocs, three commitments for the class of 2012 and graduate Bryce Ledford.
Thomas took official visits to Alabama, Tennessee and Louisville while also drawing interest from Florida before settling on the Mocs, who currently are ranked No. 27 in the nation by GolfWeek.
Thomas tied for 20th through two rounds of stroke-play qualifying at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship and advanced to the round of 32 in match play last summer.
He is ranked No. 45 in the nation for the class of 2013 by GolfWeek, and No. 36 by the National Junior Golf Scoreboard ranking.
This past prep season he was one of seven named first-team All-PrepXtra by the Knoxville News Sentinel and tied for 13th in the Class AAA state tournament.
"Louisville offered me a full ride, and that was my first offer and we were excited," Thomas said. "Then I went on my UTC visit."
He left making a commitment.
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6484.
David Uchiyama is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who began his tenure here in May 2001. His primary beats are UTC athletics — specifically men’s basketball and athletic department administration — and golf, which includes coverage from the PGA Tour to youth events. He also covers other high school sports, outdoor adventures, and contributes to other sections of the newspaper when necessary. David grew up in Salinas, Calif., and began working ...
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