Adams signs with Motlow golf

The itch to compete just wouldn’t go away for Tyler Adams.

The former Pioneer standout, better known around Warren County as T-Bone, battled through pain in both golf and baseball during his senior year while always wondering what could have been if his shoulder had been 100 percent healthy.

Now, he’s finally going to get his chance to find out.

Adams never gave up on the dream of competing in college athletics and recently got the call that opened the door back onto the links. The former WCHS athlete will join the inaugural Motlow State golf team in 2026-27, reuniting with familiar faces after fellow Pioneer seniors Ty Childers, Zach Siebers and Turner Bryant all signed with the Bucks in February.

In many ways, those connections helped make the opportunity possible.

“After I got hurt from baseball and missed out on getting to play in college, I went to Tennessee Tech and just never really felt good about it,” said Adams. “Ty and Turner were having talks with Motlow and I decided to reach out and see what I could do. I went and talked to the AD down there a few months ago and decided I wanted to give it a shot.”

When baseball was no longer realistic because of the shoulder injury, Adams leaned fully into his second love: golf. And now that he’s finally able to swing pain free again, his game is taking off.

“The shoulder is back to as good as it has ever been. I just obviously will not be picking up a baseball any time soon,” Adams said with a laugh. “My golf game is the best it has been and will only get better every day that I keep putting in the work.”

Nobody who knows Adams would question his willingness to grind. It’s the same all-out mentality that made him a key contributor on the diamond and has helped him rapidly close the gap in a sport where many of his peers have years more experience.

“I don’t think getting back to it has been too bad. I didn’t take a long break and kept playing golf here and there. The only thing is I started a lot later than a lot of my peers, so putting in that extra work to close that gap is the most important thing right now,” said Adams.

The uncertainty and wondering if his competitive days are now over: Adams is getting his shot.