“Winning Vidalia was huge, because there were 49 teams, and it’s two days. Those were some of the best teams from Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, and when we won that, it felt real good,” Hogan said.

Hogan won the Dynamite Goodloe tournament at the Valdosta Country Club his freshman year. He’s won four Georgia State Golf Association tournaments. He finished second at the Georgia PGA Tour Championship, and had a top-10 finish in an American Junior Golf Association tournament. He also played in the Future Masters in Dothan, Ala., one of the top junior tournaments in the country. When he was 15, he got to play in the Golden Isles Amateur in Brunswick, a tournament that included a number of college golfers.

“He’s been a real steady player for us for the past four years,” Brown said. “He contributed from his freshman year to his senior year. He was consistent, and he got better each year.”

Hogan initially found out about Georgia Southwestern through the school’s athletic director, Jaclyn Kaylor, who worked at Lowndes several years ago. Then golf coach Stan Shurling urged him to visit the campus.

“I drove up there on a Friday morning, and (Shurling) showed me around,” Hogan said. “The practice facilities up there are great. They’re putting so much money into their golf program, and the campus. I met a bunch of cool people and played golf with (the team). I liked it. This is someplace I can get schoolwork done and play golf, and still have fun. This is a good place for me.”

Shurling gave Hogan the maximum scholarship he gives. Plus, Hogan has earned the HOPE Scholarship, so he will basically be getting a full ride to college.

“He’s a good young man who has done well academically,” Brown said. “He has HOPE, and that will pay for a lot of his tuition.”

Georgia Southwestern is a public university located in Americus. Its enrollment last year was 2,717 students, close to the same amount Lowndes High School has.

Hogan plans to major in political science at Georgia Southwestern, then wants to go to law school. He’s wanted to be an attorney for a long time.

He expects to play in a number of tournaments this summer, before heading off to college. He also said he would attempt to qualify for the British Amateur. He says playing in a tournament in Europe would be a dream for him.

Hogan has made two hole-in-ones in his life, one at Francis Lake, his home course, and one at Kinderlou Forest. He also had another one, but did not have a witness when he made it.