Joel Thornton has signed a letter of intent to play golf at Maryville College, a private college located in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. Thornton is a three-year golf letterman and three-year Academic Athlete. As a senior, he was awarded the PTSA award as well as the Cougar Award, voted for by his teammates. He has played events throughout the southeast on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, Southeastern Junior Golf Tour and the All-American Junior Golf Tour. He is currently playing his third summer of competitive golf before going off to Maryville.