Top 100 Competing for the Deutsche Bank Championship

by Randy Roberts

The FedEx Cup playoffs move to the second round on friday at TPC Boston.  The field is the top 100 players the second round and Michael will be trying to get into the top 70 in order to continue further into the playoffs.

Michael will be teeing off at 1:22 on friday and will be playing with Chris Kirk and Roberto Castro.

Leaderboard
Michael's Scorecard
Michael's Shottracker
Round 1 Group Shottracker
Rounds 2 Group Shottracker
Live Projected FedEx Cup Points

Into the Second Round

by Roz Roberts III

The greens at The Barclay's over the weekend hardened and sped up and scores, especially those later in the day, went up.   Michael Thompson had a difficult time on the greens int he third and fourth round and eventually finished in a tie for 63rd.  He dropped from 66th on the Fedexcup Points List to number 82 but, more importantly, being inside the top 100 gets him into next week's Deutschebank Championship.  This will mark the first time Michael will play at the Deutschebank.

PGATour.com has a nice playoff tracker page that shows the entire field eligible for next week's Deutschebank Championship and the movement within the Fedexcup Points List over each of the playoff events.  You can find it here:  Playoffs Tracker.

Since each playoff event is worth 5 times a regular season event,  there is quite a bit of volatility in the standings after each playoff event.  After next week's second round, the third round will be limited to the top 70 players on the points list.  In order to advance, Michael will need a top 50 finish (or thereabouts).

Moving On Up

by Roz Roberts III

If the old golf adage that "golf is much easier and enjoyable from the short grass" is true, then Michael Thompson had a great time during Friday's second round at the Barclay's.  Michael hit 13 out of 14 fairways on the difficult Black Course at Bethpage State Park and managed to shoot a three under par 68.  He moved up 36 spots on the leaderboard and is now tied for 16th at three under par - just five shots off the lead.   For the tournament, Michael is now tied for second in driving accuracy

Michael's third round featured six birdies including one on the second hole where he sank a 39'9" putt.    Golf writer Doug Ferguson described the 7:30am scene on Twitter:

Michael Thompson makes 40-foot birdie on 2. No fans around green. One marshal claps. Other 6 marshals busy taking pictures.

Tee Times
For the third round, Michael will be paired with Ian Poulter.  The duo tees off at 12:25pm ET.

Television and Streaming Coverage
Saturday's third round coverage will be aired on the Golf Channel and CBS and the PGATour.com's Live@ stream will showing the 13th and 17th holes.

Round 3 Coverage

Golf Channel - Saturday 1pm-2:30pm ET
CBS - Saturday 3pm-6pm ET
Live @ - Saturday 11am - 6pm ET

Online Scoring Links
Leaderboard
Michael on Shottracker
Michael's Group on Shottracker
Michael's Scorecard

Thompson Hangs Tough

Michael Thompson makes a par putt on the 13th hole during round 1 of the 2012 Barclay's

by Roz Roberts III

Michael Thompson fought Bethpage Black to a draw on Thursday during the first round of the Barclay's.  His even par 71 included two birdies, two bogeys, and 14 pars.  He is currently tied for 52nd.  Michael's par 71 looks even more impressive when you consider that the afternoon conditions scored over one and a half shots higher than the morning rounds when the winds were down and the greens were more receptive.

Michael will once again be paired with Charlie Hoffman and Geoff Ogilvy.  The group tees off at 7:21am ET and hope that round one's early scoring conditions repeat themselves on Friday.

Television and Streaming Coverage
Friday's second round coverage will be aired on the Golf Channel and streamed on PGATour.com.

Round 2 Coverage

Golf Channel - Friday 2pm-6pm ET
Live @ - Friday 11am - 6pm ET

Online Scoring Links
Leaderboard
Michael on Shottracker
Michael's Group on Shottracker
Michael's Scorecard

Are You Ready for Some Playoffs?!

by Roz Roberts III

This time last year, Michael Thompson had just snuck into the top 125 PGA Tour golfers on the Fedexcup Points list which gained him entry into the first round of the Fedexcup Playoffs - The Barclay's.  This year, after his second place finish at the US Open, his entry into the playoffs was assured early and he's now looking to make a deeper run into the four event playoff series.

Each round of the playoffs will shrink the number of eligible players until the final round Tour Championship when the number 1 player will receive $10 million.  This week marks the first round of the playoffs and is open to the top 125 players on the Fedexcup points list.  Next week's Deutschebank Championship is limited to the top 100 players.  The field will shrink to 70 at the BMW Championship and the final round Tour Championship will be limited to the top 30 players.  The points available at each of the playoff events are five times that of a normal event so performing well in the early rounds of the playoffs will allow players to move up the list and continue on.  Michael currently sits at 66 on the points list.

This year the Barclay's will be played at the famed Black Course at Bethpage State Park in New York.  The Black Course hosted both the 2002 and 2009 US Opens and boasts perhaps the most daunting sign in golf:

Michael will be playing the first two rounds of the Barclay's with Charlie Hoffman and Geoff Ogilvy.  The group tees off at 12:11pm ET.

Television and Streaming Coverage
The the first two rounds of the Barclay's will be available on the Golf Channel and the weekend will be covered by both the Golf Channel and CBS.  All four rounds will have live streaming provided by the PGATour.com's Live@ stream.

Round 1 Coverage

Golf Channel - Thursday 2pm-6pm ET
Live @ - Thursday 11am - 6pm ET

Online Scoring Links
Leaderboard
Michael on Shottracker
Michael's Group on Shottracker

PGA Championship - Round 1 Recap

by Randy Roberts

Michael Thompson shot a nice round of 73 (+1) in the first round of the PGA Championship.  He had two birdies, 3 bogeys and 13 pars for the day.  He currently sits T-66th which is right above the current cut line.

He tees off Friday at 12:50pm ET with Greg Chalmers and Spencer Levin. Scores were slightly higher in the afternoon today, and I would expect the same trend to continue tomorrow.

Mobile Coverage
Download the PGA Championship app for iPhone

Televison Coverage
TNT
Fri 1:00pm-7:00pm ET
Sat-Su 11:00am-2:00pm ET

Scoring Links
Leaderboard
Scorecard
There is no ShotTracker this week

Michael Thompson Makes His PGA Championship Debut

by Randy Roberts

Michael Thompson will make his debut in the PGA Championship Thursday on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, South Carolina.  The last of the four majors for the year, he'll be playing against all of the best players in the world.

As if the tough course and competition were not enough, weather will also play a role as rain, wind, heat and humidity are in the forecast each day of the tournament.

Michael will be grouped with Greg Chalmers and Spencer Levin and will be teeing off at 7:40 ET.

Mobile Coverage
Download the PGA Championship app for iPhone

Televison Coverage
TNT
Thu-Fri 1:00pm-7:00pm ET
Sat-Su 11:00am-2:00pm ET

Scoring Links
Leaderboard
Scorecard
There is no ShotTracker this week

A Profile in Perseverance

by Roz Roberts III

Greg Hansen is a sports writer for the Arizona Daily Star and if you've followed the Thompson Tide you've probably seen links to pieces he's written over the years.  Yesterday, following the inaugural Thompson Invitational junior tournament in Tucson, AZ, Greg wrote a great article on Michael.

Here's the first part of the article to whet your appetite and you can follow the link at the bottom to read the whole thing.

by Greg Hansen
Arizona Daily Star

As he was standing in a buffet line Saturday, choosing between fettuccine and meatballs, Michael Thompson said the one thing all working men would like to be able to say on a hot August night.

"I'm playing in the PGA championship next week and the FedEx Cup after that."This is a man who has already banked $1,226,834 this year and could double it before Labor Day.

This is a man whose summer schedule has included work in England, Canada, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and, well, anywhere that Tiger and Phil go.

Before Thompson left Oro Valley Country Club, one of the 60 junior golfers playing in the eponymous Thompson Invitational asked if he could see Thompson's PGA Tour card.

It was as if he wanted proof.
Is there really a PGA Tour card at the end of the golfing rainbow? Can life be that good?

Thompson opened his wallet and passed his card to the junior golfers.

"When I was your age," he said, "I told my friends at (Rincon/University) high school that I was going to be on the PGA Tour. They would just laugh. I never let anybody tell me it wasn't possible."

Mike and Beth Thompson sat at a dinner table Saturday night as their son spoke about his life. I watched them as much as I watched Michael handle himself so ably. Their eyes glistened. Can you imagine the pride?

This is no accident. You don't finish No. 2 at the U.S. Open, or runner-up at the U.S. Amateur, because you got hot. Thompson climbed to No. 57 on the FedEx Cup rankings for the same reason he earned 21 merit badges and became an Eagle scout. He put in the work.

"Michael is so positive," said Susie Meyers, a former UA star and LPGA regular who became his golf mentor 13 years ago. "You knew he'd be successful at whatever he chose."

Catch the rest of the article here:

Greg Hansen: Tour card, drive take Michael Thompson far

 

 

The Thompson Invitational Completes It's Inaugural Tournament

by Randy Roberts

The inaugural Thompson Invitational was completed today at the Oro Valley Country Club in Tucson, AZ.
You can watch the video below for a short description and interview with Michael.

The champions in each division were:
Girls 13-14: Ocean Pangan, Scottsdale, AZ
Boys 13-14:  Michael Feagles, Scottsdale, AZ
Girls 15-18:  Morgan Messick, Tucson, AZ
Boys 15-18: Tyler Kathrineberg, Mesa, AZ

Tucson News Now

Thompson to Host Junior Invitational

by Roz Roberts III

After finishing the RBC Canadian Open at two under par in a tie for 61st, Michael Thompson will be taking a week off from the PGA Tour and will be hosting the inaugural Thompson Invitational in his hometown of Tucson, Arizona.

Here's a snippet from the Arizona Daily Star describing the event.  The entire article can be found by clicking on the title.


Thompson takes tour break to open junior tournament
by Greg Hansen

After he completes his round today in the Canadian Open, Rincon/University grad Michael Thompson will take a week off from the PGA Tour and return to Tucson.

Thompson, runner-up at the 2012 U.S. Open, has established the Thompson Invitational, a statewide junior tournament for boys and girls 13-18 that will stage its inaugural event next Saturday and Sunday at Oro Valley Country Club. It is Thompson's way of giving back to the Ricki Rarick junior golf program and the state's JGAA, the formative golf organizations of his junior days.

His longtime swing coach, Susie Meyers, a former UA and LPGA golfer, and her husband, Dan, a former Arizona Amateur champion, are the forces behind the event that they hope will become the premier junior tournament in Arizona. More than 50 junior golfers have entered the inaugural Thompson Invitational.

So far this year, his second season on the PGA Tour, Thompson has earned $1,215,966 and is ranked No. 57 in the world golf ranking.

Tournament Links
Tournament Information
Leaderboard

Thompson Makes Cut in Canada Again

by Roz Roberts III
 
For the second year in a row, Michael Thompson has made the cut at the RBC Canadian Open.  In doing so, Michael ended his short streak of missed cuts after he shot an even par 70 during the second round at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ontario, Canada.  He is currently tied for 53rd.

In both of the first two rounds, Michael hit 10 out of 14 fairways which has him in a tie for 11th for the tournament in driving accuracy.  During the second round Michael's putter regained some of its typical fire power and he ended the second round with +1.916 in strokes gained putting.  His second round included four birdies and would have been much better except for the 18th hole where he made a kerfuffle of things and ended up with a triple bogey.

Michael tees off on Saturday at 11:13 am ET with Seung-Yul Noh and Canuck Graham DeLaet.  The group will begin their third rounds from the tenth tee.


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

RBC Canadian Open - Round 1

by Randy Roberts

Michael Thompson got off to a hot start in round one of the RBC Canadian Open.  Scoring three birdies in a row on holes 3,4 and 5 had him in red numbers early on.  He had a great streak of 9 holes in a row with 100% fairways hit and 100% greens in regulation.  Although I'm sorry to say that the streak came to an end, he was able to score one more birdie before he was done, offset by two bogeys to finish at -2 and T-24th. All in all it was nice round, and I hope he enjoyed a pop when he was done.

Michael tees off on friday at 7:40 am ET with Spencer Levin and Nick O'hern.

Leaderboard
Michael's Scorecard
Michael's ShotTracker
Group ShotTracker

Thompson To Play In The Canadian Open

by Randy Roberts

Michael Thompson returns to North America this week to play in the Canadian Open.  This year's Canadian Open is taking place at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ontario located aboot 50 miles west of Toronto.  The tournament rotates through Canada, so although he played in this tournament last year, he's on an all new course.

If Michael plays well, he may be rewarded with entrance into next week's Bridgestone Invitational.  The top 50 on the OWGR list are invited and he currently sits at 57th.

Michael tees off at 12:40 ET with Nick O'Hern and Spencer Levin.
It will be televised 3-6pm ET on the Golf Channel.

Leaderboard
Michael's Scorecard
Michael's ShotTracker
Group ShotTracker

'I'm glad I came over'

by Roz Roberts III

Michael Thompson missed the cut at the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Anne's after posting rounds of 74 and 73 on the par 70 links course but just making it into the field defied the odds.

Before the week began, Michael sat as the second alternate behind Ben Crane but the field was oversubscribed due to some of the odd qualification rules.  Before the tournament began 159 spots had been handed out.  The field is intended to be 156 players and alternates would not get in until the number of players dropped below the magical 156 player limit.  Last week both Jason Day and Web Simpson withdrew which left the field at 157 players.  Undeterred by the long odds of getting into the field, Michael decided to head to England after the John Deere Classic on a charter for PGA players.

I decided [to come to England] the moment I found out I was right behind Ben.  It was kind of weird this year in that the field was basically overbooked.  I just basically said that it's an opportunity to come over here and practice, prepare, just like any other tournament.  And for a British Open, that's experience that I need for the future.  If I didn't get in we'd go sight‑seeing, because it's fun as an American to be over here. 

It was known that Russ Cochran's back was giving him trouble which left his status uncertain but in a surprise move, Robert Karlsson withdrew on Wednesday and that left Michael two spots short of getting in.  However, Ben Crane, who was the first alternate, hadn't traveled to England.  Under somewhat controversial circumstances, Ben Crane was removed from the alternate list and Michael was instated as the first alternate.  Michael said,

Robert Karlsson's withdrawal kind of surprised me.  I wasn't really expecting anybody besides maybe Russ, but I knew he wouldn't make a decision until early morning Thursday. 

So on Thursday morning, the first day of the tournament, Michael headed over to the golf course in hopes of getting some good news.  He still needed one player to withdraw.

We heard through other caddies that Russ' back was hurting him, and so it was just kind of an outside chance [that he'd withdraw] and so I got here anyways at 5:30 in the morning.  I've been waiting around for a while and found out at 9:00 a.m. that I got in.  So that gave me a little bit of time to prepare mentally for the day.

But, you know, it was a great opportunity, a great chance.  I'm glad I came over.  This is a great opportunity with my first British Open and hopefully the first of many.

I played 18 [practice holes] on Tuesday and nine on Wednesday, so I was prepared, just as getting ready to play any Tour event.  The only downside was having to get here at 5:30 in the morning. 

But, you know, that's what I had to do and I did it and everything worked out.
So, you know, it was just good luck, God's will, whatever you want to call it, that it all worked out in my favor.

Unfortunately for Michael, limited practice time translated into a missed cut as Michael had some difficulty adjusting to the links greens.

 It's very different for us Americans coming over here and playing just with the speed of the greens because we're used to 12 on the Stimpmeter, and these are 8 or 9, and so it's definitely an adjustment.  It reminds me a lot of playing on the Hooters Tour, the speed of the greens.  These are a little smoother than playing on the mini‑tours.   But it's just all about getting a good mindset, having a good feeling, seeing the ball go in the hole before you hit it.  And the better you're able to do that, the better you're able to visualize that happening, the easier it is to make putts.  And these greens are a little different, a little interesting in that there's a lot of little mounds.  And so you're putting over a lot of little mounds, which makes reading the greens a little difficult.

I couldn't make any putts.  I gave myself some good looks.   And a few wayward tee shots on this golf course and you're in deep trouble, literally.  And I guess that's the way Open golf is, and you've got to keep it in the short stuff.  It doesn't matter if it's the fairway or there's intermediate rough.  As long as you have a swing at the ball you can score well.

So after a great experience with his first British Open, Michael will be catching the charter back next week to the Canadian Open where he will tee it up all over again.

'All This Waiting Has Paid Off'

by Roz Roberts III

After a week of waiting Michael Thompson has officially gotten into the Open Championship.  He will be replacing Russ Cochran and teeing off at 11:53am BT.  He will be paired with Steven Alker and Lee Slattery.

Upon getting the news, Michael Tweeted:

I jut found out that I'm taking Russ Cochran's place in @The_Open. All this waiting paid off. Time to get that #warriormentality #RollTide