Last summer, at 12 years old, Will Thomson was the youngest contestant ever entered in the International Junior Masters.  Impressively, he made the Championship flight.  Will is returning to the IJM this year.  Now, a 7th grader in the Pittsford Mendon School district, near Rochester, New York, he is in his first year of high school varsity golf.  It appears he is following in the footsteps of Mendon graduate Gavin Hall, who has made several PGA Tour appearances.   Will’s home course is Oak Hill Country Club and he is coached by Joe Lusardi in Rochester, New York.

Courtesy of IJGT (www.ijgt.com)

Courtesy of IJGT (www.ijgt.com)

Will is the current New York State Boys Amateur Champion (14 and under) winning the title last summer at Skaneateles Country Club by 10 strokes.  Also last summer, Will finished in the top 10 at both the Callaway World Junior Championships in San Diego, and the US Kids World Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina.  He won both the US Kids Jekyll Island Cup in Jekyll Island, Georgia and the US Kids Seaview Open in Galloway, New Jersey.

Will also was named 14 and Under Player of the Year by the International Junior Golf Tour and has been a member of IJGT Team USA competing for the North American Cup in Canada and the Euro Cup in Scotland.  He was featured in the New York Times in August of 2012. Times sports reporter, Adam Schupak, stated, “At 11, he [Will] was the youngest and smallest junior in the field at the International Junior Golf Tour’s Bridgestone Golf Tournament of Champions in late May in Orlando, Fla….[He is] a standout on the International Junior Golf Tour.”

The highlight of Will’s golf experience to-date is an invitation to Latrobe, Pennsylvania last fall arranged by a member at Monroe Golf Club.  Will and fellow Mendon teammate Gunnar Doyle played golf on Arnold Palmer’s legendary home course for two days.  On the final day of their visit, Palmer’s brother Jerry invited them into Palmer’s office and led them on a tour of Arnie’s Barn.  He showed them countless awards, trophies, photographs, and memorabilia and offered insights and wonderful stories that enhanced the whole experience.  They even got to sit on the famous Penzoil tractor!  At the pinnacle of that trip they got to meet Arnold Palmer and heard stories from “the King” himself.  Will is even more in awe of Palmer and his accomplishments after his visit.  “Mr. Palmer is my favorite all-time golfer and person,” said Will.  “My golf friends all thought it was pretty cool that I got to meet Mr. Palmer. My 7th grade friends who don’t know golf very well asked me why I went to meet the guy on TV who makes that lemonade and iced tea drink.”

Even at such a young age, Will credits golf with creating relationships and establishing friendships with a wide variety of individuals that are associated with the game.  His family has served as a host family for golfers traveling to Rochester for events like the Monroe Invitational Championship, Nationwide Tour Events and the LPGA Championship for years.  Will’s house guests have included current PGA Tour Players Dustin Johnson, John Merrick and Peter Tomasulo, and LPGA Pro and Golf Channel analyst Paige MacKenzie.

Will Thomson, having accomplished so much in such a short time, is most certainly a promising young man. We look forward to following his development and career for years to come.