A Young Golfer: Taken too Early.
 

Our local community is mourning the loss of a college golfer. I knew this guy personally and he was an amazing guy and always so cheerful. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.


Eagles cope with death of teammate
By MATT YOGUS
myogus@statesboroherald.com
Thomas Sharkey was only beginning to show off what he was capable of on the golf course.
The 21-year-old Georgia Southern Eagle died early Sunday morning, along with his 8-year-old sister Bridget, in a fire at their home in Helensburgh, Scotland. Police in Scotland believe the fire was arson and are investigating Sharkey’s death as a murder.
After being redshirted in 2009, Sharkey was determined to have an impact for the Eagles on the course.
“He really had to work at his game to get to the level to compete in tournament golf,” said GSU coach Larry Mays. “We redshirted him his first year, and I think after he went home he realized he had to work harder to compete in our lineup. We were pretty competitive, and he had a competitive spirit.”
He turned his frustrations into positive energy, and worked his way onto the travel squad, where he played in seven tournaments, earning a letter for the 2010-11 season.
“He had to grind out his rounds to play. He didn’t have the prettiest swing. He had what I call a homemade swing,” Mays said. “He worked to get competitive and make the travel squad. Once he realized he was being too hard on himself on the golf course, he let that go and started to blossom. It was fun to see him progress to where he not only got in the lineup, but he started shooting some significant rounds for us.”
Sharkey’s biggest day came right here in Statesboro, where he shot a 3-under, 69 during the second round of the Schenkel Invitational at Forest Heights Country Club.
Even after the career-best round, Sharkey saw room for improvement.
“It was a tough [back] nine,” Sharkey said after shooting 4-under, 32 on the front nine on March 19, 2011. “I thought I had a chance at a good score, but after a birdie on three I didn’t make much. But a 69’s a good score. I’ll take it.”
His off-the-course contributions to the team will be missed equally as much as his play for the Eagles.
“As I had to make the call to all the players, the one thing that kept coming out — past the whole of the tragedy — was that it’s their buddy,” Mays said. “That’s their friend. That’s the guy who started all the conversations and kept all the conversations going. He loved the banter, he loved the ribbing, he loved the give and take — he was good at both — and he’ll be missed.”
Mays is starting to learn that Sharkey was just as popular away from the team as he was when the Eagles were together.
“Sharkey was pretty popular, I’m finding out,” Mays said. “I don’t delve too much into their personal lives here on campus, but through Facebook, tons and tons of students are saying, ‘Remember those times in the library…’ or, ‘Remember those times going out…’ or, ‘Remember those times in class…’ Not only was he popular on the golf team, but I think he made a mark in the student population as well.”
The Eagles are making plans to honor Sharkey beginning for the 2010-11 season. Sharkey, a rising sophomore would have been an Eagle until the end of the 2012-13 season.
“It’s going to be tough getting in the van every week,” Mays said.

Murder suspected
Sharkey’s parents, father Thomas, senior, and mother Angela were injured in the house fire and rushed to the hospital.
According to reports from The Scottish Sun, police are treating the deaths of Thomas, Jr. and Bridget Sharkey as murders.
The Scottish Sun reported that a pub which was set to open and was being run by Thomas Sharkey, Sr. was torched weeks before its scheduled opening in 2010.
Chief Inspector Fergus Byrne was quoted Monday in The Scottish Sun saying, “Extensive inquiries have been ongoing all day at the scene, including a full crime scene forensic investigation by scientists, the fire service and Strathclyde Police.
"This investigation is continuing, however we believe that this fire was started intentionally and the deaths are now being treated as murder."

What a tragedy; they are in my thoughts.


Tappin' in support of Team Hackers!

That is a sad story and my prayers go out to the family and friends.

Sorry to hear this story about the young man and his sister. Thoughts and prayers.

Man what a shame, from reading the article it seems as though he was both talented and loved by alot of people. If there's any saving grace in all this, it's that he had the ability to touch alot of lives.

So true. He was an amazing guy. Always spoke to all of us. Not a lot of college golfers will speak to kids/teens, and he always did.

What a shame. Best wishes to his family. If it was arson, I hope they catch whoever was responsible.

Sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with the family and friends.

Horrible story. Thoughts are with them

Absolutely horrible. My thoughts, prayers, and condolences to all who knew them. RIP.

I heard about this and my thoughts & prayers are with the family and team.

Mays comments just show why he is such a dick and no one likes him. I really hope they fire him and make Carter head coach.

What a shame my prayers go out to his family and community. Sounds like he was well liked.


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Sad story! heart goes out to the family and his teammates

It is a sad story.
Well wishes to all.

woah. so sorry to hear this.

just curious, how did any of his comments make him a dick?


Otherwise, prayers go out to the family, sad story.

lol JD is known for not liking Coach Mays. Carter is a great coach though. Don't know Mays that well, but he's always been nice to me when I've talked to him.

“He really had to work at his game to get to the level to compete in tournament golf,” said GSU coach Larry Mays. “We redshirted him his first year, and I think after he went home he realized he had to work harder to compete in our lineup. We were pretty competitive, and he had a competitive spirit.”
He turned his frustrations into positive energy, and worked his way onto the travel squad, where he played in seven tournaments, earning a letter for the 2010-11 season.
“He had to grind out his rounds to play. He didn’t have the prettiest swing. He had what I call a homemade swing,”


GSU luckily won their conference this year but anyone that can shoot under par to 75 would be a great addition to the team. It's really nothing special to make the GSU golf team. Each year GSU gets waxed in the Schenkel Tourney they hold at Forest Heights. It pretty embarrassing when you get beat so bad on your home course. If this would have been GSU Football and they cared so much about winning as they do football they would have fired him long ago.

Mays is notoriously known trying to do a complete overhaul of golfers swings after they sign with GSU. It's play his way or you get to sit. I don't see why you would try to change a swing that has got them good enough to be signed to play college golf. I know a few players that he has totally screwed up their swing/mindset where they weren't even competitive anymore. A few made and signed with the team and quit after a few months of being around him. GSU doesn't even get invited to play the Augusta National anymore due to Mays pissing off the member that would host them. I rarely hear praise of him when talk about any GSU coaches.

This sucks! I hate to hear things like this. I feel so bad for his parents.

This is not far from me, been reading about it and it's tragic!
Such a pity!