Thompson Finishes T-2nd at Forest Lake Golf Club

Michael finished tied for second at the Forest Lake Golf Club. He went all three rounds with no bogeys. He will remain at #2 on the money list, while the tournament winner, James Vargas will move up to #3. Wil Wilcox moves up from #18 to #5 and the rest of last week's top 10 pretty much remains the same.

Bogey Free Ball after Two

Michael had an awesome 2nd round at Forrest Lake Golf Club, finishing at -6 for the day and -8 overall. He has not had any bogeys for the entire tournament.

The Hooters Winter Tour is winding down, who will take the top spot?

Play at the Forrest Lake Golf Club got off to a slow start due to the cold temperatures they're having in the Orlando area. Play was delayed an hour and a half, but scores are starting to roll in. There's only three more tournaments on the Hooters Winter Tour after this one, so it should be interesting to see how the money list shakes out over these next few weeks. The number one guy, Joe Affrunti is not playing, but Michael (#2), and the rest of the top 10 are playing as well. Jim Renner's been knocking on the door and playing incredibly well. He's ranked #3 without a win.

High 5! Michael made 5 Cuts in a Row

Michael finished in 30th place at the Shingle Creek Golf Club. He also stayed in 2nd place on the money list. He's made five cuts out of five tournaments on the Hooters Winter Tour.

It's Wiiiinnnnndddyyyy!

The Winter Tour starts back up today at Shingle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, FL. Scores from the first round look high, probably due to the 14 mile/hr winds they're having out there.

Christmas 2009 Update

January 4, 2010: I saw Michael over the holiday break while in Tucson. Here's a few things I learned:

• He was signed up for the tournament at Southern Dunes but canceled at the last minute when he learned his girlfriend got in a car accident. She's doing better now.
• He attributed his recent success on the winter tour to some things he's been working on with Susie Myers, his swing coach.
• While playing at tournaments, he usually stays with members of the golf club where the tournmanet is being played. People volunteer to be hosts when the Hooters Tour comes to their town.
• He can hit a golf ball farther with a pitching wedge than my brother and I can with a driver. It was my first time golfing, and Roz's second.

Are You Going to be in Tucson around Christmas?

I heard that Michael will be putting on a golf clinic for kids in the Tucson area this Sunday up in the Oro Valley area.

Here's some photos from the event:

Michael M.I.A.

Michael did not play at the Hooters Winter Tour event this week at Southern Dunes Golf Club. Joe Affrunti won, and took the #1 spot on the money list, moving Michael down to #2.

Thompson's Steady Play Continues at Sugarloaf

Michael finished T12th at the Sugarloaf Mountain Golf Club. He also stayed atop the Money List for the Winter Series. So far he's played in four tournaments and finished at 12th or better in all 4. There's five more tournaments left to play and he's already signed up to play in all of them.

Thompson Takes First at Timacuan

The Timacuan Golf Club beat up a lot of players this week as we saw some of the best go down with triple bogeys in the first two rounds but today Michael Thompson (-18) of Birmingham, Al took the 7025 yard course by the horns and beat it. Thompson backed up his rounds of 69-66 and made ten birdies today as he peeled of a nine-under 63, giving him a 5 shot victory in this weeks event. That victory pushed Thomson into the lead on the money list.

via www.sinktheputts.com (No longer available)

Thompson Tackles Timacuan

The Bridgestone Winter Series-Week Six

Timacuan Golf Club

December 1-3, 2009

Lake Mary, FL (December 3, 2009)…Michael Thompson (Birmingham, AL) carded a nine-under par 63 Thursday in the final round of The Hooters Tour’s Bridgestone Winter Series over the 7,025 yard, par 72 Timacuan golf club to garner his first Hooters Tour victory.

The twenty-four year old carded rounds of 69-66-63 for a three day total of eighteen-under par 198 and a five stroke victory over second round leader Matthew Kohn (Maitland, FL), Robbie Greenwell (Georgetown, ON) and Zack Sucher (Loxley, AL). Greenwell fired a six-under par 66 Thursday, while Zucher and Kohn carded rounds of 68 and 70 to finish at thirteen-under par 203.

Thompson, a former Alabama Crimson Tide golfer, takes home $12,462 for his victory, while the trio of Greenwell, Kohn and Sucher take home $5,081 for their runner-up finishes.

With his victory Thursday, Michael Thompson moves into the lead of the member’s money list with $17,563 in earnings. The top 10 members at season’s end will earn full exempt status for the 2010 Hooters Pro Series with their membership fee waived.

The Bridgestone Winter Series travels to Sugarloaf Mountain Golf Club next week for week 7 of the season with action starting Tuesday, December 8, 2009.

via Hooters.com

Former Alabama golfer Michael Thompson wins first Hooters Tour title at Timacuan

Michael Thompson knew exactly where he stood going into Thursday’s final round of the NGA Hooters Winter Series event at Timacuan Golf Club – two behind the second-round leader Matthew Kohn. But even after shooting a 29 on the front 9, he wasn’t sure where he stood when he teed it up on the tough 18th, the final hole of the 54-hole event. 

“I didn’t know at all. I do know that I was really nervous,” said the 24-year-old Thompson.Nerves or not, he drained a 16-foot birdie putt to finish off a nine-under-par 63 and what proved to be a five-shot victory. It was his first win after two years on theNGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour, and was worth $12,400 pushing him to the top of the Winter Series money list.

The Birmingham, AL, resident and former University of Alabama player carded a three-day total of 18-under-par 198 and a five-stroke victory over Kohn (Maitland, FL), Robbie Greenwell (Georgetown, ON) and Zack Sucher (Loxley, AL). 

Timacuan’s own Marcus Manley holed out a wedge for an eagle two on 17 then birdied 18 to finish fifth at 12-under.

The other big winner this week was the host course, Timacuan Golf Club, which proved to be a solid test for the field of 132.

“Timacuan is a really good course; I enjoyed playing it,” said Thompson, who finished second in the 2007 U.S. Amateur to Colt Knost. “It makes you focus on the tee shot. That’s what makes it tough. Hit the fairway and you’ve got a decent chance to score well.

“The greens rolled really well. They weren’t terribly fast, but they putted very true.”

The Timacuan community and club are located off Rinehart Road near State Road 46-A in Lake Mary. Timacuan is ranked among the top courses in all of Florida. Designed in 1988 by Ron Garl and refurbished by Bobby Weed in 1995, Timacuan is a par 72 that features two distinctly different nines. 

Prior to starting work on the layout, Garl spent time in Scotland studying Links-style architecture, and that research is very evident on Timacuan’s front nine. Sprawling bunkers, generous landing areas, oversized, undulating greens, and framing mounds combine to create a challenging and memorable nine holes.

The back nine has more of a Carolinas Low Country feel, with beautiful oak trees and tall pines providing the framing. One large body of water comes into play on 15, 16 and 17, demanding accuracy. 

Nearly every green complex has closely-mown fringe areas, allowing for a variety of shot selections when players miss the green.

“Timacuan is a semi-private golf club with a private-club feel,” said Timacuan General Manager Johnson. “Our visiting guests receive the same first-class treatment as our members. That’s one of the reasons we see the same players return year after year during the season. They seem to love the service, and the uniqueness of the layout at Timacuan.”

For more information about Timacuan, visit www.golftimacuan.com, or call 407-321-0010

Via Examiner.com Orlando

First Win as a Professional Golfer!

Michael scored his first career pro golf tournament win at the Timacuan Golf Club today! He also brought himself to the lead of the winter series money list by earning an additional $12,462

2nd Top 10 Finish in a Row on the Hooters Winter Tour

Michael finished in 7th place at this week's Hooters Tour Winter Series event at Deer Island Golf Club.

Top 10 Finish on the Winter Tour

Last week Michael finished in 7th place at the North Shore Golf Club. It was his first event on the 2009-2010 Hooters Tour Winter Series.