Thomas Addison, a 2001 graduate of Presbyterian College, is in his 21st season as his alma mater’s head men’s golf coach.
Addison replaced his father, Tommy Addison, at the helm of the Blue Hose golf program after serving as an assistant coach for two seasons. The elder Addison retired in 2005 after serving as head coach for 13 seasons.
Since taking over the reins, Addison has coached the men’s team to numerous top-five finishes and several team titles. He was named the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year in 2007, PC’s last season in Division II. Since then, Addison has built the team into a contender within the Big South Conference. In the 2024-25 season, he helped guide the Blue Hose to a top-four finish in stroke play, advancing the Blue Hose to match play in the Big South Championship for the first time in the program’s history.
The Blue Hose have also excelled in the classroom, having earned All-Academic Team recognition from the GCAA for eight straight years (2017-24). The team also received the NCAA Public Recognition Award for High Academic Achievement in 2020.
In the 2024-25 season, Jeep Patrick captured the Big South Championship Individual title, becoming the first PC player to capture the title and earn a berth in the NCAA Regional. Patrick was named Big South Freshman of the Year. Patrick and Wofford earned Second Team All-Big South honors. Trey Howard was named to the Big South All-Academic team. Two Blue Hose earned Big South Freshman of the Week accolades: Patrick (Sept. 19, Oct. 17, and April 10) and Richard Anaclerio (Nov. 6).
In the 2023-24 season, Jack Wofford was a Second Team All-Big South selection while Lleyton Renner was an Honorable Mention All-Big South honoree for the second straight season. Jimmy McCollum was the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year while earning Big South All-Academic team accolades. McCollum and Renner were named GCAA All-American Scholars. Wofford became the first Blue Hose player in 11 years to win a tournament individual title after capturing the title at the Elon Phoenix Invitational (October 16-17). On September 21, Renner was the Big South Golfer of the Week and Jack Wofford earned the honor on October 19. Gage Howard garnered Big South Freshman of the Week honors on November 9.
In the 2022-23 season, Lleyton Renner finished in the Top 10 in the Big South Championship after finishing tied for tenth. Renner garnered Honorable Mention All-Big South. Jimmy McCollum earned GCAA All-America Scholar honors. McCollum was named to the Big South All-Academic team. Jack Wofford was named Big South Golfer of the Week on September 22.
In the 2021-22 season, Lleyton Renner finished in the Top 10 for the second straight season at the Big South Championship after finishing sixth. Renner and Jimmy McCollum were named Srixon/Cleveland All-American Scholars, with McCollum earning the honor for a second straight year. McCollum was named to the Big South All-Academic team. On February 24, McCollum was named Big South Golfer of the Week, and Jack Wofford was named Big South Freshman of the Week.
The 2020-21 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but saw Lleyton Renner become the first Blue Hose to record a top-10 at the Big South Conference Championship since 2015, with Renner tying for seventh at the event. Jimmy McCollum and AJ Nolin were named Srixon/Cleveland All-American Scholars, with Nolin earning the honor for a third straight year.
Following the 2019-20 season, which was also cut short due to COVID-19, Nolin was named a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-American Scholar for the second straight year.
After the 2018-19 campaign, Charlie Tate was named to the 2019 Big South All-Freshman team, becoming the first PC golfer to earn the honor since 2013. Nolin and Cole Patterson earned Srixon/Cleveland All-America Scholar honors.
Hayden Ploeger became the first golfer in program history to earn Srixon/Cleveland All-America Scholar Honors from the GCAA in 2017. Ploeger was also awarded the Big South Conference Graduate Fellowship and was the conference’s 2016 Men’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In 2014, Davis Parker earned All-Conference honors from the Big South. Parker had previously been named to the 2013 Big South All-Freshman team. Both honors were program firsts. Parker went on to earn another All-Conference selection in 2016.
Carter Davis shot a school record of 206 (-10) to win individual medalist honors at the Springhill Suites Intercollegiate on September 10, 2013, and bested the previous mark by three strokes.
Addison has coached three other golfers to individual medalist honors: Hugh Morrison (4/1/08), Thomas Todd (10/21/08) and Matt Sizemore (10/18/11). Parker accumulated a trio of runner-up accolades during his first two seasons at PC. Furthermore, Addison has had six different golfers win Big South Golfer of the Week honors: Todd (x2), Sizemore, Carter Davis, Colt Crymes, Davis Parker (x5) and Weston Sanders, and four different golfers win Big South Freshman of the Week honors: Park Brady (x2), Jimmy McCollum (x2), Weston Sanders (x2) and Charlie Tate.
Since his tenure began, the team’s best 18-hole combined score is 276 (-12). The team has also carded a 54-hole best score of 854 (-10) twice. The Blue Hose also won the Pirate Intercollegiate in 2013 with a combined score of 885 (292, 292, 301).
Addison also spent nine seasons, from 2005-14, as the head women’s golf coach. Under his guidance, the program captured its first tournament victory at the Pfeiffer Lady Falcon Invitational (3/24/11) and numerous Big South Golfer of the Week honors. The team also had three different golfers post rounds of under-par.
Addison is a former three-year letterwinner with the Blue Hose. During his playing career, he earned All-South Atlantic Conference honors for three straight years (1999-2001) while also earning SAC All-Tournament honors in 2001 and SAC Academic Honor Roll selection in 1998. As an athlete, he helped lead the Blue Hose to the 2001 Food Lion/SAC Tournament title and three straight trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. He served as team captain during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. The team voted him MVP in 2000, and Addison earned the program's Scotsman Club Achievement Award in 2001.
Before returning to PC, he spent a year as an assistant golf professional at Musgrove Mill Golf Club located in Clinton, S.C. Addison earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Presbyterian College in 2001.
Thomas and his wife, Katherine Johnson, a 2003 Presbyterian graduate, live in Laurens, South Carolina, and have two sons, William, born in 2010, and Connor, born in 2013.
