Crimson Tide Signs Two for Men's Golf Team
11/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
 |
|
TUSCALOOSA – A U.S. Amateur participant who is ranked No. 7 among junior golfers and three-time all-county golfer from the golf talent rich state of Florida are the University of Alabama’s two men’s golf signees during the fall early signing period. Signing National Letters of Intent to play golf and attend the University of Alabama are Montgomery’s Matthew Swan and Thomas Hugghins of Ponte Vedra, Fla.
“We are very excited about our signing class,” said Alabama head men’s golf coach Jay Seawell. “We got two young men who are going to help us compete for national and Southeastern Conference championships. And not only are they talented golfers, but they are young men of good character. They are as good in the classroom as they are on the golf course, and those are the kind of young men we are building our program around here at the University of Alabama.”
Swan, a senior at Montgomery’s Trinity Presbyterian School, competed in the 2004 U.S. Amateur as well as the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur. He is a 2004 American Junior Golf Association All-American and has ranked among the top 10 in Golfweek’s national ratings of junior golfers. Swan was medalist in 11th grade at the Blue-Gray tournament, and was also the Section medalist, City High School Championship medalist and All-Capital City medalist and the state’s 4A individual champion his junior season as well. His career low round so far is 64, a score that helped him win the 2004 Blue-Gray Invitational.
Swan is considered one of the nation’s most sought after junior golfers.
“Matthew is one of the best players in the country,” said Seawell. “He could have gone anywhere in the United States to play college golf, and we are ecstatic that he chose the University of Alabama. We’re glad he chose to stay here in the state to play as well. I think this is another sign for our program as well that we are on our way to being a nationally elite team when we are able to bring a player like Matthew in to our program.”
Thomas Hugghins, is a senior from Ponte Vedra, Florida. He attends Allen D. Nease High School in St. Augustine, a team that finished fourth at the Florida Team Championships and won the district and regional titles. Hugghins finished second at the American Junior Golf Association’s Fore!Kids Junior at TPC of Louisiana and finished fifth at the Mission Inn Junior Golf Masters. His best round includes a five-under-par 65 he carded in June at the AJGA’s Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic.
“Thomas has an impressive golf talent,” said Seawell. “Thomas is someone we believe is going to prove to be a high caliber player in the Southeastern Conference. He has great potential already. I think he’s going to be someone who will help us compete at the SEC’s highest level. And, on top of his talent, he’s a good kid, good in school. He’s exactly the kind of student-athlete who we want to build our program around, one who will help us compete for championships and represent the University of Alabama with class.”
