Metaphorically speaking, Thomas Garbee ’16 is on the back-nine of his college golf career. And it is shaping up to be a great round. Garbee has been named the Naval Academy team’s captain for his senior year. Not only that, the Christ School alumnus won the most recent Patriot League Men’s Golfer of the Week award after sharing medalist honors with teammate Charlie Musto at the 54-hole Doc Gimmler Invitational held Sept. 14-15 in New York. Garbee shot a score of 4-under 206 (67-71-68) to become an individual medalist for the first time at the college level. Next up is the Army-Navy Star Match next month in Clementon, N.J. As he prepares, Garbee reflected on his senior year.
Question: First off, let’s start by talking about the Doc Gimmler. I’m sure you have a lot of good things to say about that tournament?
Answer: I’m really excited for the team and our guys. We are finally recognizing our potential. Not only individually, but from a team perspective as well. It’s really cool to see it all come together. If you look at our first two events, we finished second in our first event (the Ryan T. Lee Collegiate on Sept. 7-8 in Simsbury Conn.) and first in our second event.
Question: What is it like for you to be a captain this year?
Answer: It’s weird at times to have that collar device on. I look back on the three captains I had and how much I respected each and every one of them. It’s a matter of learning from them and also trying to be the leader that I want to be. It’s pretty cool to be a leader and one of the team’s top scorers. With this being my last year, I want to do as much as I can to help the team.
Question: Is there any one facet of your game that has come along and improved, either lately or throughout your time at Navy?
Answer: My putting is definitely the most improved thing. I’ve only had one three-putt over 90 holes of golf so far. Putting used to be the thorn in my side, so I’m really proud of where it’s at now. Overall, I’m a whole lot smarter on the golf course, too. My course management is better. I’m not getting a lot of big numbers. If I get in trouble, I take my medicine, and try to salvage a bogey.
Question: What are you post-graduation plans?
Answer: I put in my service preferences about three weeks ago and now I’m waiting to hear back. I want to be a Marine. That would involve going to training this summer in Quantico (Va.) through the Leathernecks Program. I put Marine Ground as my first (service preference) and my second was Surface Warfare.
Question: You have a younger brother at Christ School (Wesley ‘20). Have you given him any advice on being a Greenie?
Answer: About the only thing I did is I suggested that Mr. (Isaac) Rankin should be his advisor. Mr. Rankin was one of my best friends at Christ School and I really enjoyed having him as a mentor. Otherwise, I didn’t think Wesley would want to completely follow in my footsteps. I’ve told him what I enjoyed about the experience and now he is kind of blazing his own trail. I think he has done a really good job.
Question: How did Christ School prepare you for the Naval Academy?
Answer: I look at my schedule now, and how it was back then, it’s very similar. The strict schedule with morning job (at Christ School) was nice. In the afternoon, everyone went and played a sport. It was nice to follow that path. Also, here the professor-to-student ratio is pretty small just like Christ School. You get to know your professors and it was the same at Christ School. When you’re in a small setting and get to know your teachers on a personal level, it’s easy to get help from them.
