Thompson Tops Field With Final Round 64
News >> Thompson Tops Field With Final Round 64
The Michelob Ultra Classic
Auburn University Club
July 29-August 1, 2010
Auburn, AL (August 1, 2010)…Former Alabama golfer Michael Thompson (Birmingham, AL) fired an eight-under par 64 in the Sunday’s final round of the Michelob Ultra Classic at The Auburn University Club to garner his first career NGA Hooters Tour title.
“It feels great to finally get my first professional win and to be a part of an elite group of great young players that have won the NGA Hooters Tour like Philip Pettitt, Ben Briscoe and Jeff Corr,” said a humble Thompson after his round. “I have been hanging with these guys and have been wanting this for a long time.”
Thompson, the 2007 US Amateur runner-up, began the final round trailing former college teammate Matthew Swan (Montgomery) by three strokes but that lead quickly disappeared on the front nine Sunday. The twenty-five year old kick started his final round with a birdie on the first hole then made par on the second hole before making his run at the tournament title. Starting with hole three, Thompson made four consecutive birdies on holes 3-6, before slipping up with a bogey on the par 5 seventh hole. Thompson showed no signs of slowing as he backed the bogey up with a forty foot birdie on the difficult par 3 eighth hole to turn at five-under par 31 and move him into first place at fourteen-under par.
“I have been working this year on having a good mentality and trying to put myself in contention so that I could learn from the pressure,” said the twenty-five year old. “I got off to hot start early with my putter and that helped put me in the mentality that I have been working on this year.”
“My shortest putt during my run today was only six feet and once I made that forty footer on eight, I kind of had the feeling that this was going to be my day.”
The former Tide golfer continued his solid play once he made the turn to the backside on Sunday as he jumped out with two birdies on holes 10-11 to reach sixteen-under par for the week. Thompson added pars over his next four holes before adding a ninth birdie of the day on his card at the par 5 sixteenth hole. Thompson signed for the lowest round of the week with an eight-under par 64 after two routine pars to close out the round. For the week, Thompson carded rounds of 66-70-71-64 for a four day total of seventeen-under par 271 and the winner’s check worth $30,000.
“I want to thank my fiancĂ©e Rachel this week for carrying my bag. She has never caddied before and with the hot weather and long walks she was great,” said Thompson. “She was able to keep me at ease later in my round today as I started getting a little nervous.”
With his first place finish on Sunday, Michael Thompson jumps to third on the season’s money list with $67,314 in earnings but more importantly his first place finish puts him in the early lead for the Knoxville News Sentinel Open Exemption. The Knoxville News Sentinel Open exemption will be granted to The NGA Hooters Tour leading points winner over the three (3) events in July and August: Auburn, Alabama, Tunica, Mississippi & LaGrange, GA. The NGA Hooters Tour member who accumulates the most points in those three events will earn the exemption into The Knoxville News Sentinel Open.
Jimmy Brandt (Auburn), a former walk-on on the Auburn golf team, finished solo second thanks in part to a four-under par 68 on Sunday to move him to fourteen-under par 274 for the week. Brandt was able to cut back on the mistakes he made the first three days with only one bogey in the final round to go along with five birdies. Brandt took home $15,830 for his best career finish on the NGA Hooters Tour.
Third round leader Swan and Russell Knox (Jacksonville Beach, FL) finished tied for third at thirteen-under par 275 for the week. Swan, who had carded rounds in the sixties his first three days, managed a one-under par 71 Sunday while Knox fired a six-under par 66 to move up five spots from T-8. The pair earned $9,780.
Andrew Medley (Athens, AL) headed up the remaining former Auburn Tiger contingent in The Michelob Ultra Classic after he carded a four day total of twelve-under par 276 thanks to a final round 66. Other Auburn alums include Patton Kizzire (ten-under par 278), Reid Edstrom (eight-under par 280), Michael Daniels (one-under par 287) and Will Claxton (one-over par 289).
The NGA Hooters Tour heads to Tunica, Mississippi next week for The Gold Strike Casino Golf Classic contested at Tunica National Golf Club. Action begins Thursday August 5 and finishes up on August 8, 2010. As with all NGA Hooters Tour events, the event is free to the public.
For more information please check out our website at, www.ngahooterstour.com
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