South Cobb High's Tommy Swearingen to Play in Prestigious Golf Tournament

When he was just 3 years old, Tommy Swearingen graduated from his plastic Fisher Price golf club set to the real deal. His grandfather set him on a life-altering path after buying him a set of clubs that had to be cut down to fit the tiny tot’s stature.

Now 16, the rising junior at has the opportunity of a lifetime to play at Pebble Beach Golf Course in the Nature Valley First Tee Open with the Champions Tour, which takes place July 8-10 in Pebble Beach, Calif.

A member of First Tee in Atlanta, Swearingen has spent his summer vacation practicing for six hours daily on his home course at John A. White Gold Course in Atlanta.

“I love golf because it’s an individual sport,” Swearingen said. “You rely on yourself instead of a team.”

Despite being a teenager, Swearingen has been playing competitively since he was 8 and has 15 tournament wins under his belt.  

While his skills with a driver and putter were important, there was a myriad of criteria the South Cobb native had to meet in order to qualify for the Nature Valley First Tee Open which includes maintaining a solid grade point average (he boasts a 3.5). He also had to write five essays, show a transcript of golf tournaments he’s won and have a low handicap – his sits at 2.5.

Yet while golf is an individual sport, Swearingen’s family is heavily involved in his game. His grandfather introduced him to the sport, his dad shuttles him back and forth to practices and his mom is a constant source of support for him.

“As he gets older, the competition has become more intense,” said his mother Haroldeen Swearingen, assistant principal at . “He has to learn how to compete. First Tee has been great for that, not just teaching him the game of golf, but instilling great values in him: honesty, integrity, respect. Those are part of the nine core values they teach there. It’s one of the reasons we love it.”

Swearingen’s bond with his family has made his college choices a little easier too. As a junior he’ll be eligible to be recruited next year, and said he’d like to play golf at Morehouse College and study sports management.

“I don’t want to go too far from home,” he said. “I want to pursue golf after college as much as I can.”

And that makes sense for a kid who’s had a club in his hand from the time he could walk. He helped his high school team make the state tournament for the first time this year and heads to Wichita Falls, Texas for a weeklong qualifier before he even flies out to California.

“I’ve always been naturally good at it,” he explained. “I used to play baseball, too, but when I was 7 or 8, I devoted my time to golf only. I knew I could do it if I concentrated on it and I’m going to see where it takes me.”