Thomas Higgins Season 2025-26

Overview: Senior in 2025-26 who was a four-year starter, including three NCAA Tournament teams…that includes the 2023-24 team that reached the national tournament….played in 37 tournaments and 107 rounds…had a 73.17 career scoring average that ranked in the top 25 in Clemson history when he graduated….earned his degree in May of 2026….a big hitter who was capable of going low, he had 21 career rounds in the 60s…his score  counted towards Clemson team score 78 of 95 career rounds when he was in the team lineup…had eight career top 10s, 28 under-par rounds and 36 at par or better…had 13 career eagles, tied for sixth in Clemson history …highlight of his senior year was second-place finish at the Mountaineer Intercollegiate where he shot 10-under-par 206…finished second to eventual National Champion Preston Stout of Oklahoma State by one shot… a highlight of his career was beating Virginia All-American Ben James, 1-up in match play at the 2025 ACC Championship semifinals…James was ranked #1 in the PGA University rankings in 2026….his most important performance came as a sophomore in 2024 when he finished 14th at the NCAA regional in Chapel Hill… a big reason Clemson won its first regional tournament in 20 years…his performance included a career best 63 on May 14, 2024….that 63 in the second round is best in Clemson history for an NCAA Tournament round (second best in terms of score vs. par)…he finished 14th overall for the 54-hole event with a 204 score (-6)…named to the Academic Scholars team by the Golf Coaches Association in 2024-25…named to All ACC Academic team as freshman and junior…just  the third player from Ireland to join the Clemson program….third player from Ireland to play at Clemson, Richard Coughlan was an All-American and Co-ACC Player of the Year for the Tigers between 1993-97, and Michael Hoey was a starter on Clemson NCAA Tournament teams between 1999-2001…one of three international players who joined the Clemson program in 2022.

In 2025-26:  As a senior in 2025-26 finished fourth on the team in stroke average at 73.03, an improvement of half a stroke per round over his junior year…had four top 10 finishes to tie for the team lead in that category…had 11 under-par rounds, including seven rounds in the 60s…had his best round of the year at the Mountaineer Intercollegiate when he had a second round 66 on April 13, his second round of the day…had his best tournament of the year and perhaps of his career when he finished second against a strong field at the Mountaineer…had rounds of 71-66-69 to finish second at -10 (206)….he finished second to Oklahoma State All-American Preston Stout, who went on to win the national championship a few weeks later…Higgins was the Clemson leader of the tournament, leading Clemson to team championship in a field that included three schools who would be #1 seeds in the NCAA regionals…Higgins had double figures in birdies in six of his 10 events and finished with 98 for the year, third on the team…also had four eagles to finish second on the team…had career high 16 birdies and eagles at the Mountaineer….his score counted in 25 of 29 team rounds…had 73.8 stroke average in opening rounds and 73.50 in final rounds…had 3.2 average on par three holes  4.15 on par fours and 4.79 on par fives….started the year with a top 10 (8th) at the Myrtle Beach Classic with a 211 score thanks to a pair of 69s…also had top 10 in the fall at the Bryan Brothers and the Marquette Intercollegiate….so he had three top 10s in the fall of 2025…big contributor to Clemson’s team victory at Erin Hills…finished 30th at the ACC Championship with a 219 score, including a two-under par 70 in the final round.

In Summer of 2025: Had active summer of 2025, he played in eight amateur events overseas….played 20 rounds and had eight under-par rounds and a 71.60 average…finished sixth at the St. Andrews’s Links Trophy with a 277 total after rounds of 70-65-67-75…finished 21st at the Irish Amateur after rounds of 68-76-71-70…finished 26th at the European Amateur in Sweden after rounds of 73-73-73-73.

Career Bests
Round: 63, NCAA Chapel Hill Regional, 5/14/24
Score vs. par:  -7 (63), NCAA Chapel Hill Regional, 5/14/24
Tournament:  203 (-10) Ka’anapali Classic, 10/26-28/23
Tournament vs. Par –10, Ka’anapali Classic, 10/26-28/23
Birdies/Eagles:  15 (14-1), Linger Longer,  3/19-21/23

In 2024-25:  Sixth on the Clemson team in stroke average as a junior when he had a 73.57 stroke average…in the Clemson lineup for six tournaments and played in eight overall…played 23 total rounds and had four under par, all rounds in the 60s…had 72.25 stroke average in opening rounds, 75.5 in final rounds…had 64 birdies and two eagles…his scored counted in 14 of 17 rounds he was in the Clemson lineup…had a 2-0 record in match play…finished his year strong,  he was 14th at the Chitengwa Memorial and 21st at ACC Tournament….helped Clemson to third-place finish at ACC Tournament with one-under-par 215 total…shot 214 at the Chitengwa…had his best tournament of the year at the Palmetto, he finished fifth with a 140 score after rounds of 71-69…he was second best among Clemson golfers with that fifth place finish, a big reason Clemson won the tournament.

In 2023-24: Third on the team in stroke average with a 72.81 figure….improved his stroke average by 0.8 strokes per round over his freshman year…had six eagles, fifth best in a season in Clemson history…half of them came in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional, his three in one tournament were most in an NCAA tournament by a Tiger in history…only player with three eagles in a tournament this year, one of two to have a pair in one round…set a Clemson record with seven under par 63 in the second round of the Chapel Hill Regional, best round in Clemson history in an NCAA tournament round and just one shot off the overall Clemson record for any round…third on the team in under-par rounds with 10 and he had 13 total rounds at par or better, third on the team…his 111 birdies were third on the team, he had 117 eagles and birdies combined, also third on the team…had 3.16 stroke average on par three holes, best on the team…his 4.71 average on par five holes was third best…his score counted in 30-37  rounds this year and 39-49 for his career…had best round of the day six times and was Clemson’s best player at two tournaments…had two top 10 finishes in the first half of the season, an eighth place at Ka’anapali Classic in the final tournament of the fall (203, -10)…he had a final round 65 at that tournament, the -7 for the round was second best vs. par this year…finished fourth at Briar’s Creek in the first tournament of the spring, helping the Tigers to tournament victory…had a second round 65 in the ACC Championship, he finished 23rd with a 215 score at that event…his 14th place finish at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional was his best of the spring…finished 63-68 for his last 36 holes at the regional, best among Tigers.

In 2022-23:   Played in six tournaments as a freshman, four in the Tigers lineup and two as an individual….had a 73.61 stroke average for his 18 rounds…had one top 10, it was in his first career event…all his appearances were in the spring…had five rounds at par or better, three under-par and two at par…14 of his 18 rounds were at 75 or better…had a 74.33 stroke average in opening rounds and 72.67 average in final rounds…averaged 3.25 on par three holes, 4.13 on par fours and 4.83 on par fives…had 62 birdies in his 18 rounds…his score counted in 9 of 12 team rounds…was Clemson’s best player in a round twice,  final round at Watersound (73), and  final round at Linger longer (69)…made his first appearance as an individual at The Sharkey Invitational, he finished sixth with a 216 score, even par…shot a 70 at the Sharkey on Feb. 5 in his first career round…had his best round of the year at the Linger Longer, where he had a final round 69 to finish at 221 for the 54 holes, 33rd place…did not play in the ACC Tournament, but was in the lineup at the NCAA Salem Regional where he shot four-over-par 220…shot 73 or better in seven of his first eight rounds of the year.

In High School: Veteran of many international tournaments and was a regular on the Faldo Series…..had a strong last year, dating to September of 2021, had four top 10s and seven top 25 finishes in amateur events that earned points in the European Amateur standings…had 72.50 stroke average for 13 tournaments from September 2021 to August 2022…had four top 10s between September 2021 and April 2022…finished ninth at the West of Ireland in September of 2022 with a 286 score….that performance included a third round 67, his best score over the last year….reached final four of Connolly’s Audie West of Ireland Championship in April of 2022…finished 21st at Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship in October 2021, then had three straight top 10s….was eighth at the Faldo Grand Final, then fifth at the Toro Tour 10 and third at the West of Ireland…in summer of 2022, finished 21st at North of Ireland Open, 15th at the Mulligan Scatch Trophy (288 score)  and 32nd at Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship… finished second at the 2021 Mallow Golf Club Senior Scratch Cup with a score of 209….led CBS Roscommon to the 2020 Irish Schools Senior Championship…second at the Faldo Irish Championship as well in 2020…in 2019, Higgins had a second-place finish at the Irish U16 Amateur….won the Ulster Boys (U18) Championship in 2018 by five shots at famed Royal Portrush.

Personal:   Named the Junior Boys Captain of Roscommon Country Club in 2021…his sister Anna was the Junior Girls Captain the year before…son of Mary and Tom Higgins

Personality Profile
Favorite Current Professional Golfer: Collin Morikawa
Favorite Professional Golfer of All-time: Tiger Woods, by a mile
Favorite Athlete Outside of Golf: Cristiano Ronaldo
Favorite Course I have Played: Royal Port-rush
Course I Would Like to Play: Cypress Point
Favorite Golf Hole: 18 @ The Old Course in St. Andrews
Toughest Course I Have Played: Royal Lytham and St Annes
My Best Shot Ever: My Drive down 19th hole in The West of Ireland, 350 yards down the middle which left me a pitch from about 50 yards which I put to 5 feet, held the putt for birdie and won the match.
My Best All-time Round: 63, Roscommon Golf Course, my home course
The Best Part Of My Game is: Putting
My Favorite Club:  Driver
The Part of the Game I Must Improve Is: Driving
The Biggest Influence on My Golf Career Has Been:  Mike Kennelly, my coach
After My Golf Career Is Complete I Want To: Chill in the Bahamas
My Dream Foursome Includes Myself And: Tiger Woods