By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech men's golf head coach Polk Brown announced the addition of three players for the 2024-25 athletic season, signing Drew Bolton, Spencer Stuke, and Hil Thompson to national letters of intent to play for the Golden Eagles.
DREW BOLTON
Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.
High School: Knoxville Central High School
Bolton has come a long way from just getting into the game of golf as a freshman at Knoxville Central High School to where he sits today, shaving a whopping 17 strokes off his scoring average during his four seasons with the program. In 2023, he earned a trio of top-three finishes on the Sneds Tour, including a pair of medalist finishes.
He also was the Tri-Star Match Play champion in 2023. During his career, Bolton was a four-time qualifier for the region tournament, two-time State Junior Amateur qualifier, and a State Amateur qualifier in 2023.
As a senior, Bolton captured three individual victories, as well as a runner-up performance, firing 18 out of a possible 23 rounds at 75 or under. He produced a stroke average of 74.0 for the year. He heads into signing day ranked 14th among the class of 2024 in the state of Tennessee.
COACH BROWN'S TAKE
"Drew has shown so much growth in his game over the last 12 to 16 months. From where started as a freshman in high school to where he is now is extraordinary and a testament to his hard work and determination, which will serve him well when he gets here. He will be a fantastic student-athlete in every sense of the word and we are excited to have him be a part of this program."
SPENCER STUKE
Hometown: Delafield, Wis.
High School: Kettle Moraine High School
Stuke, the younger brother of current junior Golden Eagle women's golfer Reagan Stuke, will enter Cookeville with a wealth of experience and success competing at Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wis. the past four seasons. He led KMHS to a Division I state title in 2021, a state runner-up finish in 2022, county crowns in 2022 and 2023, regional championships in 2021, 2022, and 2023, a sectional title in 2023, and conference celebrations in 2021 and 2022.
Named the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Boys Golfer of the Year for 2023, Stuke turned in medalist honors at the county tournament championship, conference tournament championships, regional playoffs, and sectional playoffs during his junior campaign. He was named All-Conference First Team as well. In 2022, as a sophomore, he earned Conference Player of the Year accolades.
That same year, he picked up medalist recognition at the Wisconsin State Amateur Qualifier and tied for fourth place at the Wisconsin State Open qualifier. Competing on the AJGA Tour during the summer of 2023, Stuke earned a top-15 finish at the Future Legends Junior Championship and top-25 showing at the Coca-Cola Junior Championship at The Highlands.
COACH BROWN'S TAKE
"We are so excited to have Spencer join us next fall. He is a fine, young man with a great family. We have thoroughly enjoyed having his older sister in our women's program and expect nothing different when he gets to Cookeville as well. He has so much raw ability and untapped potential. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for him during his career here."
HIL THOMPSON
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
High School: Christian Brothers High School
Thompson will join the fold in Cookeville after competing four years at Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, carving out a fair bit of success along the way. He led CBHS to a region championships in 2021, earning medalist honors along the way.
During his junior campaign, Thompson tied for fourth place at the Division II-AA state tournament. He became the inaugural recipient of The Cheairs Cup, recognized as the Christian Brothers' most outstanding player.
In 2023, he earned the honor again after tying for 32nd at the state open. Thompson was a two-time participant in the Tennessee Junior Cup as well, in addition to being named the Memphis Area 2022-23 Golfer of the Year.
COACH BROWN'S TAKE
"Hil has had a fantastic junior career and really flourished as a junior and senior at Christian Brothers. We have no doubt that this trend will continue as he transitions to collegiate golf and couldn't be more honored that he will join us in the fall. More importantly, we know he will be an amazing ambassador for Tennessee Tech golf, both on and off the golf course."
