by Casey Willis, SAS ‘15, Sewanee Messenger Intern
When Parker Oliver introduced his son, Tommy, to golf at the age of 7, he had no way of knowing that it would become Tommy’s passion as a 17-year-old St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School student. Tommy didn’t even take the game seriously until after his sophomore year in high school, but he always showed an innate ability with the game, shooting a very respectable low- to mid-40s on nine holes before even dedicating a significant amount of time to the game. Now, he shoots in the mid-30s, on average, with a 4-over-par score of 36 being a bad day.
“We are a really big golfing family,” said Tommy. “My dad, all of my uncles, my mom and my grandfather all play golf, and my uncle, Jay Williamson, is on the PGA Tour.” Tommy travels often to play in tournaments across the Southeast in places such as Nashville, Knoxville and even Charleston, S.C.
Tommy describes his best day on a golf course as one that took place at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour Tournament in May of this year, a two-day tournament in Knoxville at Gettysvue Golf Club. On the first day, Tommy played badly and, in his mind, had played himself out of contention to win. But on the second day, he played himself back into a tie for the lead by scoring a 1-over par 73.
“I was able to relax and find my comfort zone without the pressure of having to hold off competition,” he recalled. His outstanding score on the second day sent him into a playoff with his competitor, Cameron Yeary. Tommy’s tee shot on the first playoff hole put him a difficult position, but he sank a 40-foot putt to save par and stay in the playoff. On the next hole, the opposite occurred, with Yeary putting himself in a tough position. Yeary, however, was not able to recover and ended up with a bogey on the hole, while Tommy’s clutch play continued. He parred the hole and won the tournament. Reflecting on the two playoff holes, he said, “I was able to stay focused and calm, which helped me to keep my composure and finish strong.”
Tommy also regularly competes in other sports such as cross country, wrestling and soccer. He relates cross country and wrestling to golf because they are individual sports. But he said he enjoys soccer more, because he likes the idea of relying on teammates, and it is a nice break from the individual sports. However, he says no other sport compares with golf for him.
“There is nothing better than doing exactly what you want with a golf shot, because it’s so hard,” he said.
His peers offer high praise.
“Whenever I want to get better, I play with Tommy,” said friend and golf team co-captain Andrew Heitzenrater, a senior at SAS. “He challenges me to do my best, and I almost always lose. Anybody who watches Tommy play will get better. His form, his tempo, his mind are all very well developed.”
When asked if he has any long term plans involving golf, Tommy said, “I want to play in college, most likely a Division II or Division III school, either as a recruited player or a walk-on.” He also said that he has given thought to teaching the skills of the game as a possible profession, but doesn’t foresee a future in professional golf. “However,” Tommy said, “anything can happen.”
Tommy also excels in school, where he is in his junior year, regularly appearing on the High Honors list at SAS. His favorite subjects are science and math, which he said he enjoys because of the unique challenges that each presents. He has discovered a way to use his discipline with golf as discipline in school.
“I like to create a game plan for what I want to accomplish,” Tommy said. “For example, if I want to improve my short game, I will go out and chip and putt, and if I want to study math, I’ll find the problems that I need to work on and find different ways to solve them.”
Tommy credits much of his improvement in golf to his grandfather, who has always been supportive and encouraging. “He is always pushing me to do my best.”
Tommy has gone from little boy beginning player to a teenage ace on the course, and watching him play, anyone can see that he certainly has a future in the game. No one will be surprised to see the name Tommy Oliver on top of the leader board in a few short years.
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