Encouraging Signs for 2014

by Roz Roberts III

Michael Thompson finished the Hyundai Tournament of Champions tied for 16th after a final round one under par 72.  He finished the tournament at ten under par.  If you want to see some encouraging signs for Michael's 2014 PGA season you don't have to look far.

• He tied for the best first round score at -7.  
• He finished first in driving accuracy at 86.67%.  That corresponds to 52 out of 60 fairways hit for the week.  Did I mention that was FIRST in the field?
• He was seventh in driving distance.  Michael put the new Ping i25 driver in the bag this week and based on the results it looks like it's a keeper.
• He was tied for 2nd in greens in regulation hitting 60 of 72 for the tournament.

Surprisingly, his middle of the pack finish came down to some uncharacteristic poor putting in the final two rounds.  Since Michael is a fantastic putter look for his putting to rebound soon.  If he can improve his driving accuracy and GIR like he did this week, 2014 shapes up to be an exciting year for Michael and his fans.

The Putter Got Cold in Hawaii

Michael Thompson plays a shot on the 13th hole during the third round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 5, 2014 in Lahaina, Hawaii.
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images North America

by Roz Roberts III

Sometimes it happens.  On Sunday, Michael Thompson's putter went cold in balmy Hawaii.  He started the day off with two three putt bogeys and was never able to get any significant momentum going from there.  In the end, he was able to fight back and salvage a par 73 for the round but that dropped him down the leaderboard a bit into a tie for 12th.  He'll look to regain some of that Aloha magic in today's fourth round.  He will once again be paired with Brian Gay and they tee off at 9:50am local time.

Television Times

Day	Time	Michael TV network
Monday, Jan. 6	4-8 p.m. ET	Golf Channel

Online Links
Leaderboard
Michael's Scorecard
Michael on ShotTracker
Michael's Group on ShotTracker

Thompson More Than Holding His Own

by Roz Roberts III

Michael Thompson followed his seven under par first round at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions with a solid two under par second round to hang around the top of the leaderboard.  His -9 total after two rounds has him in a tie for 5th.  He is just four shots off the lead of Zach Johnson.  His round was highlighted with a remarkable 99 foot birdie chip from the rough on the eighth hole.  The video can be seen below.  His round could have been even better if his golf ball had been a little more cooperative.  He had a couple of putts all but fall into the cup before they decided to lip out.

Michael will be paired with Webb Simpson for the third round.  They will tee off at 12:19pm local time.

Television Times

Tomorrow's television coverage will be split between NBC and the Golf Channel.  

Day	Time	Michael TV network
Sunday, Jan. 5	3-4 p.m. ET	NBC
Sunday, Jan. 5	4-10 p.m. ET	Golf Channel
Monday, Jan. 6	4-8 p.m. ET	Golf Channel

Online Links
Leaderboard
Michael's Scorecard
Michael on ShotTracker
Michael's Group on ShotTracker

Video Highlights

Michael birdies the 8th hole during the second round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Thompson Off to a Hot Start

Michael Thompson hits a tee shot during round one of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 3, 2014 in Lahaina, Hawaii.  Tom Pennington/Getty Images North America

Michael Thompson started 2014 with a bang. Shooting -7 in the first round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, he's tied for 1st along with Chris Kirk, Webb Simpson and Jordan Spieth. He got a lot of television time on the Golf Channel today, so if you missed  it you may want to watch or DVR the replay which starts at 7:30 PST.

Michael's first round included 12 of 15 fairways hit in regulation and 16 of 18 greens in regulation.

This marks the second time Michael has been the leader/co-leader after the first round on tour. You might recall that he jumped out to a solo lead after the first round of the 2012 U.S. Open en route to his eventual T2 finish.

The Tournament of Champions differs from most PGA Tour events in that pairings for the second round are reset based on the current standings.  Michael will tee off with Chris Kirk in the last group of the day.  They tee off at 9:50am HAST.


Interview Transcript

Online Links
Leaderboard
Michael's Scorecard
Michael on ShotTracker
Michael's Group on ShotTracker

Videos

Aloha 2014!

(December 30, 2013 - Source: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images North America) 

by Roz Roberts III

The 2013/2014 PGA Tour season really gets into full gear this week in Maui at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.  Michael Thompson will be joining 29 other Tour winners from last year at the Plantation Course at Kapalua for a four round, no cut event.  Kapalua , known for its length and its scenic vistas, boasts an unusual par 73.  Unlike last year, the tournament is expected to be played in fairly good wind conditions of 20 MPH as a storm passes through Friday and clears on the weekend.

Michael has already logged two official PGA Tour events in the 2013-14 season, reflecting a change to incorporate portions of the Asia Tour into the FedExCup race.  His T35 and T50 in the fall part of the season currently has him at 114th on the FedExCup points list.  Michael will be looking for strong finishes in early 2014, as he works toward a place in the Accenture Match-Play event in February, which is limited to the top 64 players on the OWGR list.

Michael tees off at 11:00am (Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time) with fellow competitor Brian Gay on Friday.

Television Times

Day	Time	Michael TV network
Friday, Jan. 3	5:30-10 p.m. ET	Golf Channel
Saturday, Jan. 4	2:30-7 p.m. ET	Golf Channel
Sunday, Jan. 5	3-4 p.m. ET	NBC
Sunday, Jan. 5	4-10 p.m. ET	Golf Channel
Monday, Jan. 6	4-8 p.m. ET	Golf Channel

Online Links
Leaderboard
Michael's Scorecard
Michael on ShotTracker
Michael's Group on ShotTracker