Hannibal freshman Quinn Thomas takes home one-stroke state title victory
HANNIBAL, Mo. (BVM) — Quinn Thomas may only be a freshman golfer at Hannibal High School, but he is already at the top of the golf ranks in the state of Missouri.
Golf has always been the main sport for Thomas, as he has played pretty much his entire life. A big reason why was his father introducing him to the sport.
“I got interested in golf by my dad,” Thomas said. “He was a big golfer and I would just go out with him when I was younger. I got fascinated because my dad was a pretty good golfer so I wanted to become that.”
Thomas competed in his first golf tournament at just 5 years old, and it wasn’t before long that he began winning several local competitions. Playing with Little People’s Golf in Quincy, Ill., Thomas gained impressive skills that led him all the way to the Drive, Chip & Putt competition at Augusta National in Georgia. There, he would finish tied for third in the 10 and 11-year-old age group, proving he was not just one of the top up-and-coming golfers in the Midwest, but perhaps the entire country.
Throughout his career, Thomas has also competed in U.S. Kids Golf events, and more recently, American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments. One of the most significant, however, was competing in the U.S. Kids World Championship at Pinehurst a few years back. With 120 golfers competing, Thomas made an impressive finish in the top portion of the field
“When I went to Pinehurst two years ago, that was probably the biggest tournament I’ve ever been to,” Thomas said. “There were about 120 kids around the globe.”
With so much experience coming into his first season this spring at Hannibal High School, Thomas was poised for a strong beginning to his prep career.
“My goals coming in were to shoot at least a couple rounds under par and make it to state,” Thomas said. “I did both.”
Thomas won numerous matches in year one for the Pirates, and earned a trip to state with his play at districts. At that point, the goal became a top-10 overall finish.
“My goals going into state were making top 10,” Thomas said. “I knew I could do it.”
In round one of the MSHSAA state tournament at Twin Hills Golf & Country Club, Thomas shot an even-par 72, making five birdies, but also three bogeys and a double bogey. It was an encouraging round nonetheless for the freshman, as he sat one shot off the lead going into day two.
Playing in the final group, the second round would not start out great for the standout golfer, who double bogeyed the first hole and later did the same on hole four to fall a bit off the pace.
“I was pretty scared after my first double bogey and I was pretty worried that I was going to be the person who just slumped out of it after going pretty low,” Thomas explained. “Then I doubled the fourth hole, and I was pretty defeated. But I still had 13 or 14 holes and I knew I could come back.”
The resilient freshman would bounce back shortly after with a birdie on hole No. 5, and would also birdie holes seven and nine, giving him confidence that he could make a charge on the back nine.
After a 12th hole bogey, Thomas once again rebounded with a birdie on No. 13. From there, he played steady, finishing with five pars to close the round. Down the stretch, he knew he was in contention, yet not sure whether he had the lead or not.
“I didn’t know if anyone in front of me was shooting better than me,” Thomas noted. “I knew I just had to keep on going and doing what I was doing.”
With just a few holes to play, Thomas was tied with Warrensburg’s Brooks Baldwin. However, Baldwin bogeyed the 17th, giving Thomas a one-stroke lead going into the final hole. Although he still didn’t know it at the time, the freshman’s final par putt on 18 — a three-footer which he drained — earned him a state championship.
“Right after I made my par putt on 18, I walked off and I was shaking,” Thomas said. “I just didn’t want to miss it. I walked off and my two coaches came up to me and they hugged me from the back and said, ‘congratulations state champion.’ I was in awe because I thought I was still tied. My head was just going and I didn’t know what to think, honestly.”
With some time to allow the championship to settle in, Thomas is proud of what he accomplished as just a freshman. Of course, achieving a state title at such a young age allows the opportunity to win many more, and Thomas is prepared to defend his crown next season.
“My goal is to win state,” Thomas said about his sophomore season. “I want to place better in other tournaments, too, and different invitationals that we have in Missouri.”
With this year’s state title, Thomas now has the opportunity to play in a national tournament held at Pinehurst for high school state champions across the country. With his experience already at the storied course, Thomas has plenty of excitement and high expectations.
“I’m very excited to play at Pinehurst,” Thomas added. “It was mind-blowing knowing that as a freshman, you are going to a national tournament hosting 336 of the best high school players. It helps a lot that I’ll get to play there because I’ll get to know what my competition is not just in my state, but in the whole nation.”
Thomas hopes to achieve a top-25 finish at the summer tournament. Beyond that, he plans to play several more AJGA tournaments, looking to continue to improve his game.
The talented freshman is a long hitter for his size and age who also has a nice touch around the green. Those skills are things that he hopes takes him to a college golf career someday, perhaps at Oklahoma State, Illinois, Stanford, Tennessee or Texas.
Throughout his life, Thomas has idolized many professional golfers and the way they play the game, such as the on-course demeanor and determination of Tiger Woods, or the long-hitting ability of Dustin Johnson. With his talent, Thomas believes that someday, he could be one of those players on the tour that kids look up to.
“Being a professional golfer has always been my dream,” Thomas said. “Playing well is what you strive for, but playing well in tough conditions like PGA players do is hard. I just know that I have to do the same and try to keep my head up. The real goal is to just go out, have fun and win.”
With all that has happened for Thomas on the links thus far, it seems that the sky is the limit for the talented golfer. But as just a freshman, the first order of business is continuing to make his name known at the high school level, and Thomas hopes some more success at Hannibal is in his future.
“Knowing you can win at state as a sophomore, junior and senior drives you a lot,” Thomas said. “You just have to keep your head steady, keep on practicing and have that determination in yourself. It’s not just that you keep on winning, you have to play well, especially to win state.”
