VALDOSTA — Tyler Hogan, one of the standouts on the Lowndes High boys golf team that dominated Region 1-AAAAA the last two years, has signed a letter of intent to play for Georgia Southwestern next year.

“I’m getting a golf scholarship, and I like it,” Hogan said. “I was real happy. I look forward to it. It feels cool to say you’re a collegiate athlete.”

Hogan is ready for the challenge of transitioning to college golf at Georgia Southwestern.

“I think I’ll fit in well there,” he said. “Golf is a big sport there. I feel like I know what it takes to compete, and this team can play. So it will be fun.”

“I am so happy to see Tyler get a chance to go up there and play,” Lowndes head coach James Brown said. “He’s got a great opportunity to play golf and get an education, which is the most important thing.”

Hogan had interest from several schools. He initially committed to play for Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla., but decommitted last November and started looking at other schools, including Georgia Southwestern. Now he’s glad he did.

“I went up there (to Georgia Southwestern), and I liked it. They offered a full ride, so I said, ‘I’ll take it,’” Hogan said. “The people up there were real nice, and I liked the campus and the guys on the team. It’s a good atmosphere.

“I’m happy where I’m going. I’m close to home, only two hours away. If you get too far from home, there’s no calling Mama when you need her.”

He also wanted to go to a school where he could compete for playing time early, and feels he will have that chance at Georgia Southwestern.

Hogan and Lowndes’ golf team won their second straight Region 1-AAAAA title this year, and finished the season playing in the state tournament.

“We had such a great team here. I’m going to miss it,” Hogan admitted. “Trey (McQuaig) signed with Darton, and our three sophomores are awesome (Sam Straka, Sepp Straka and Ty Howze). We had a great season, and it was fun to end it the way we did, winning back-to-back regions. We took second at state my junior year, and I got second (individually); that was great.

“It meant more to me (to win the region title again in 2009) than anyone. I was about in tears. It was especially fun the way we won it over Colquitt. They were beating us by two, then we came back. We played good, and barely won it.”

Hogan’s top individual highlight at Lowndes came his junior year, when he finished second at the state tournament, and helped the Vikings take second in the team standings.

“Last year at state, I careered it,” Hogan said. “That kid from Harrison, James White, who went to (Georgia) Tech, also careered it. He played great. He beat me by six shots, and I beat the (third-place finisher) by six shots. That’s 12 shots between first place and third. I played good. My middle 27 holes, I shot 7-under.”

In 2008, Lowndes also won the Vidalia tournament, one of the biggest in the state. This year, the Vikings set a tournament record in winning the Blue Devil Invitational in Tifton, when five players shot under par, and the sixth (whose score didn’t count) shot an even-par 72.