Thomas First Double-Amputee To Qualify For Tennessee State Amateur

On the surface, Jordan Thomas was just another golfer grinding away at Towhee Club on Wednesday afternoon with hopes of qualifying for the Tennessee State Amateur.

But the day carried with it much more significance for the 36-year-old Brentwood resident, a full-circle moment that enabled Thomas to connect the dots on a 20-year odyssey that changed not only his own life, but has also impacted hundreds of others along the way.

The one-day qualifier held the promise for 21 golfers advancing to Knoxville’s historic Holston Hills Country Club for the 110^th edition of the state amateur championship later this month. But Thomas’ pursuit carried with it added significance.

There was a major difference between Thomas and the remainder of the field – he was competing on prosthetic legs, the result of a boating accident that occurred on a Florida family vacation in August 2005 that severed both legs below his knees.

Thomas managed to post a round of 2-over par 72, finishing tied for 12^th that earned him the distinction of becoming the first double amputee to qualify for the Tennessee State Amateur.

“It was a really special day,” Thomas said. “It was sort of a confluence of things as I am coming up on the 20-year anniversary of my accident. I don't play much tournament golf anymore, so there was really no expectation of making it. But it is a thrill to be able to qualify in a state that's so competitive and has such a rich history.”

Competitive golf is nothing new for Thomas, who was attending Chattanooga’s McCallie School when the mishap occurred. He previously won the Multiple Limb Amputee division at the 2022 U.S. Adaptive Open by a staggering 18 shots, while placing fifth overall among the men’s competition held at Pinehurst No. 6.

After finishing runner-up last year, Thomas has qualified for this year’s event to be held at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland in early July.

“I decided to put my hat in the ring to get some tournament reps going into the Adaptive U.S. Open,” Thomas said. “I don't play golf to compete. I play golf because it provides an opportunity to be with other people that I love and care about, and to share time with them. It's just kind of the cherry on top to make it to the State Am.”

Life has taken on a totally unforeseen trajectory since that fateful day two decades ago, but Thomas quickly embraced his accident as a precious opportunity. While recovering from his surgery, he was impacted by the number of fellow amputees whose families were unable to afford the necessary prosthetics that would allow them to enjoy active lifestyles.

Thus, at the age of 16, he started The Jordan Thomas Foundation. The non-profit supports families who otherwise cannot afford necessary prosthetics that allows kids to live out their dreams. The organization has served more than 200 families, raising more than $10 million to provide ongoing adaptive prosthetics as children progress into adulthood.

“I lost my legs, but I gained my purpose,” Thomas said. “I found the thing that I know unequivocally I'm meant to do on this earth. The real gift for me was I was in a position of ultimate privilege, and the foundation started because of that privilege. I knew that I would never have to fight like parents who are selling their homes to provide a prosthesis for their child.”

As Thomas learned to walk again with his new “legs” a few months after the accident, dealing with the inner trauma presented a battle of a different sort.

“The majority of people saw me up and walking again, and they’d say, ‘Oh, he's doing great,’” Thomas said. “But I was not doing great. All of that grief and sorrow was nagging at me. My invisible wounds were far more life-threatening than my physical ones.”

This unmet need has inspired Thomas to pursue his master’s degree in clinical mental health in order to serve both the physical as well as emotional needs of those who come to his foundation for assistance.

“The first ten years after the accident were just about survival and doing the best I could considering the tools that I had and the trauma I faced,” Thomas said. “But these past ten years have been characterized by a deep sort of introspection and growth in terms of making meaning of that tremendous loss.”

Despite his physical limitations Thomas carries a plus-3.1 index, and he relishes the opportunity to engage in friendly competition with able-bodied golfers. He’s not too proud to use his disability as leverage to request concessions.

“I ask for strokes every single time I peg it up,” Thomas said. “Most guys that I play against are these young blood college kids with 185 ball speeds. I joke with them that there's a special place in hell for guys that hustle people with disabilities.”

Golf provides Thomas with a sense of normalcy, a return to his teenage years when he had two healthy legs and the promise of a future in the game. Now 20 years later, he would not trade places with anyone for how his life has been changed for the better through his adversity.

“It's not about impairment or non-impairment,” Thomas said. “We all have a disability of some sort. It just so happens you can see mine. Golf just affords me a platform to impact lives, and that's what I'm meant to do. If I can get exposure through golf where others want to support these kids, that's what brings me a lot of joy.”

For more information on Thomas’ foundation and the impact it is having, go to www.jordanthomasfoundation.org.

Tennessee Mid-Amateur Four-Ball This Weekend

The first event of the Tennessee Golf Association’s schedule for the year kicks off on Saturday at the 5^th Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship staged on the River Course at Sevierville Golf Club.

The 62-team field serves as a somber reminder of last year’s tournament won for the second time in three years by the Jackson Country Club duo of Jeff Reuter and Aaron Ingalls. It was Ingalls’ last win before being diagnosed weeks later with an aggressive brain tumor for which he is still receiving treatment.

The 36-hole tournament makes its first stop in Sevierville after being played at Towhee Club the past two years. The par 72 layout is expected to play 6,886 yards.

Tennessee Senior State Open Begins Monday

The 2025 Senior State Open, sponsored by Fairfield Glade, will be held next Monday and Tuesday for the 16th consecutive year at Stonehenge Golf Club. The 36-hole tournament welcomes 126 seniors from around the state.

Amateur Joe Markham Jr. of Cleveland seeks to defend his title from last year, while amateur Buzz Fly of Memphis is the returning Super Senior champion looking for his third crown in the past four years.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com