Will Thomson at the 2014 U.S. Amateur
Golfweek photo by Tracy Wilcox

You may remember Will Thomson? At 13 years old, he qualified for the 2014 U.S. Amateur, becoming the youngest to accomplish that feat in U.S. Golf Association history.

Two years later, Thomson, now 15, is still making headlines.

After tying for ninth Monday at the AJGA CB&I/Simplify Boys Championship in The Woodlands, Texas, Thomson announced he had committed to the University of Texas.

"Ultimately, I chose Texas because I feel the overall program and environment will provide me with the best opportunity to grow both personally and as an athlete," Thomson told Golfweek. The University of Texas is a great school, Austin is a great city with a great golf legacy, and Coach (John) Fields and Coach (Jean-Paul) Hebert are committed to building strong teams that compete for national championships every year."

How committed? Well, consider this: Thomson, ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2019 by Golfweek, isn't the only big-time recruit the Longhorns have landed for the coming seasons. Cole Hammer (No. 3, 2018), Mason Nome (No. 3, 2019) and Scott Roden (No. 4, 2020) are also verbally committed to Texas.

Thomson attends the Community School of Naples (Fla.), but is a Pittsford, N.Y., native. If Pittsford sounds familiar to Texas fans, that's because current Longhorns golfer Gavin Hall is from there.

Thomson said he looks up to Hall as a golfer and person.

"Gavin has been a friend and a role model for several years," Thomson said.

Like Hall did a few years ago, Thomson has already made a name for himself as a junior golfer. He followed up his 2014 U.S. Amateur appearance with another one last year. He also tied for third at the 2015 Junior PGA Championship.

He's been able to handle the spotlight, too.

"I never felt any added pressure, but qualifying for the U.S. Amateur at such an early age certainly attracted a lot of attention, including from college coaches," Thomson said. "It had a very positive impact on my life as it confirmed that working hard on my game pays off and that I have the capability to compete at the highest levels."