Brooks ThomasRinggold High School senior Brooks Thomas has committed to play golf for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga beginning in the fall of 2013.
Thomas, a first-team Best of Preps selection this past year, chose to play for coach Mark Guhne instead of leaving his hometown area.
“I knew I wanted to go to UTC early on, but I wanted to see other places,” Thomas said. “I knew deep down I’d end up at UTC.”
His other two finalists were Tennessee and Lee University.
“It’s the best program that will prepare me for the future after college, and I know they’ll work me hard there,” said Thomas, who competes out of WindStone Golf Club. “My goals will change, but I’d like to play as many tournaments as possible my first year, and by the end I’d like to be one of the leaders.”
Thomas resides in Tennessee, which allows him to receive more financial support than if he lived across the state line. He attends Ringgold because his mother is an educator in the Catoosa County School System.
“My GPA is, I think, 3.77, which makes me eligible for academic scholarships,” said Thomas, who joins Stuart Thomas in Guhne’s 2013 recruiting class. “The decision wasn’t easy. But it wasn’t difficult.”