Late Birdie Leads to Some "Friday Fist Pumping"

by Roz Roberts III

It came down to the final shot of the round.  Michael Thompson was sitting over a 12 foot birdie putt and sat one shot outside the cut line at the Wyndham Championship.  For Michael, the stakes were high:  make the putt and play the weekend for a paycheck and all but guarantee a spot in next week's Barclays - the first event in the Fedexcup Playoffs; miss the putt and spend the weekend at home, watching the tournament on TV, and hoping his accumulated Fedexcup points were enough to keep him in the top 125 in order to play next week.

Michael drained the putt and threw a couple of fist pumps.  After the round, Michael said "I fought hard today and it paid off. (I) made a great birdie on my last hole to make the cut on the number! Huge! Excited to play tomorrow..."

The day didn't get off to a good start.  A double bogey on his first hole (hole #10) put Michael in serious jeopardy of missing the cut early and it got worse with a bogey on hole #14.  Scores all day had been low and the cut line looked to be set fairly solidly at -2.  Michael started the day at -2 and after his first five holes, he was three shots off the cut.  Michael rallied with birdies on four of the next seven holes moved him a shot inside the cut line.  However, a bogey at hole #5 left him needing one more birdie with four holes to go.  Three consecutive pars left Michael one final hole and he was one shot short of the cut.  A solid drive and good approach left him with the aforementioned 12 foot putt.

Since Michael just made the cut and he had an afternoon tee time on Friday,  he'll have a nice early tee time on Saturday.  He'll be teeing off at 8:39am ET with Briny Baird.

Expected Weather for Saturday's Third Round

High: 91°
Chance of Rain: 30%
Wind: ENE at 4 mph

Isolated thunderstorms in the morning, becoming mostly sunny late. High 91F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Television Schedule

Sat, 8/20: CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 8/21: CBS 3p - 6p ET

Online Scoring Links
Leaderboard
Michael Thompson Scorecard
Michael Thompson Shot Tracker
Michael Thompson's Group on Shot Tracker
Shot Tracker Leaderboard

Bogey Free Round Has Thompson Tied for 40th

by Roz Roberts III

Michael Thompson had a bogey free round of two under par during the first round of the Wyndham Championship on Thursday.  The two under par 68 put Michael into a tie for 40th heading into Friday's second round.  Michael's round was characterized by 16 pars including 12 in a row before a birdie at the difficult eighteenth ended both his par streak and his round on a positive note.

Michael's second round gets underway at 1:10pm ET when he tees off from the tenth hole with playing partners Chad Campbell (-2) and Brendon de Jonge (-1).

Expected Weather for Round 2
 





High: 88°
Chance of Rain: 30%
Wind: W at 5 mph

Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible.
High 88F.
Winds light and variable.
Chance of rain 30%.


Television Schedule

Fri, 8/19: GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Sat, 8/20: CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 8/21: CBS 3p - 6p ET

Online Scoring Links
Leaderboard
Michael Thompson Scorecard
Michael Thompson Shot Tracker
Michael Thompson's Group on Shot Tracker
Shot Tracker Leaderboard

One Last Push to Make the Playoffs

PING Pro Michael Thompson warming up on the practice tee at the Wyndham Championship with his S56 irons.
Photo and caption by @PingTour on Twitter

by Roz Roberts III

This week's Wyndham Championship marks the last event of the 2011 PGA Tour "regular" season.  It is the last chance for Tour players to earn a place in the Fedexcup Playoffs which start next week at the Barclays Classic.  In order to grab one of the playoff spots, a player needs to be in the top 125 on the Fedexcup Points List.  Michael Thompson sits at spot #110 heading which puts him in the "playoff bubble" which is generally considered from spots #110 to #140.

According to The Asbury Park Press' Stephen Edelson, Michael needs to finish in the top 60 of this week's event to guarantee himself a spot in next week's playoffs (see full article here:  Tour Drama).

In what might be Michael's best threesome of the year, he'll be playing the first two rounds with fellow Hooters Tour alums Chad Campbell (#75 on the Fedexcup Points List)  and Brendon de Jonge (#48).  The group tees off from the first hole on Thursday at 8:10am.

The Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina will once again host this year's Whyndham Championship. The course ranked 45th out of 52 in difficulty on the PGA Tour last year.

Expected Weather for Round 1

Isolated Afternoon Thunder Storms

Expected High:  87°

Chance of Rain:  30%

Wind:  SSW at 7 mph

Television Schedule

Thu, 8/18: GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Fri, 8/19: GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Sat, 8/20: CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 8/21: CBS 3p - 6p ET

Online Scoring LInks
Leaderboard
Michael Thompson Scorecard
Michael Thompson Shot Tracker
Michael Thompson's Group on Shot Tracker
Shot Tracker Leaderboard

Thompson Finishes Tied for 50th and Makes One Fan's Day

by Roz Roberts III

It wasn't the finish Michael Thompson would have wished for, but a final round one over par 73 was good enough to finish in a tie for 50th at the Reno Tahoe Open.  After opening the day with a double bogey at the first hole Michael was trying to play catch up the whole day.  After a long, 37 foot, birdie putt found its way into the hole on #12, Michael had gotten back to even par.  However a second double bogey on hole #15 once again had him in positive figures.  A final birdie on #17 had Michael's scorecard reading 73 at the end of the day.

Despite his final round not being ideal, Michael still had time for fans. Kelly Case's son followed Michael all four days at the tournament.  On Facebook, she said  Michael's "caddie gave him a signed hat and Michael shook his hand after 18 today (Sunday). What an impression he made on a young spectator, thank you Michael!"

Michael has played in seven consecutive tournaments and criss-crossed the country twice in the last seven weeks.  Over that stretch he made six of seven cuts and moved inside the top 125 on both the money list and the Fedexcup points list.  The PGA Tour will be playing the final major of the year next week at the PGA Championship while  Michael will be taking a well deserved week off.

Michael will be competing a week later in the Wyndham Championship which is the last tournament before the Fedexcup playoffs get started.  The first playoff event, the Barclays, is limited to the top 125 players on the Fedexcup points list (Michael is currently 109th).  As the Fedexcup playoffs continue, the fields are limited to fewer and fewer players on the points list.

Closing Eagle Provides a Late Boost

by Roz Roberts III

This year's Reno Tahoe Open has been characterized by low rounds in the calm morning conditions and much higher scores in the afternoon swirling winds.  Saturday was no exception.  The morning scoring was lights out, including a course record 61 by Scott Piercy, while any afternoon score under par was exceptional.  Unfortunately for Michael Thompson, his afternoon was a difficult one as he shot a two over par 74.

Several missed short putts left Michael at four over par going into the final hole.  Through the first 17 holes, Michael's scorecard had a lone birdie, and it was way back on the first hole.   Despite all of that, his drive off the tee on hole #18 put him in a great position to go for the green with his second shot at the par five closing hole.  His second shot not only hit the green but came to rest a mere 7 feet 3 inches from the hole.   He made the eagle putt and ended the round with a bit of momentum going into Sunday's final round.

Michael dropped from a tie for 6th into a tie for 46th.  The good news is, that if the prevailing weather pattern holds,  he'll be playing in favorable scoring conditions as he tees off at 9:30am PT.  He'll tee off with Jay Williamson who had a similar Saturday to Michael as he started the round at six under and shot a two over par 72.
Golf Channel Television Times (all times PT)

Sun, 8/7:    4p - 6p

Online Scoring Links
Leaderboard
Michael Thompson Scorecard
Michael Thompson Shot Tracker
Michael Thompson's Group On Shot Tracker