Thompson at the Top!

by Randy Roberts

Michael Thompson had another strong day at the Honda Classic leaving him tied for first going into tomorrow's final round.  Things got off to a rough start as he had trouble controlling his tee shots in the  strong winds, but he battled throughout and ended the day at even par, -8 overall. After the round Michael talked about his round:

My short game saved me; my putting saved me. I just fought through it. Just stayed positive, stayed patient, let things happen, and never got down on myself, never got upset and that's kind of who I am, and that's the way I like to play golf.

Michael's round was highlighted by a bunker shot that went in for a birdie on 6 and a 20' birdie putt on 12.

PGATour.com's "Shot of the Day" - Michael's Bunker Shot on 6


Michael will be paired again with co-leader Luke Guthrie in the final group of the day.  After the round Michael said he had enjoyed playing with Guthrie and thought it was good that they'd be paired again:

We were both I think pretty positive. Luke's mild‑tempered, which is always good for me. Kind of helps me stay calm and just keep plugging along.You know, I think it's a good match up. I think we have a great pairing to be in the final group again tomorrow. We kind of‑‑ even though we are out in front with the lead, we are kind of under the radar. We are not marquis players, quite yet. But we'll just go out there and play golf and see what happens. It's a good field, and obviously a great golf course and you know, we'll just see what happens.

They tee off at 1:30pm ET.

Video of Birdie putt on 12
Video of post round interview
Video preview of Sunday
Post Round Press Conference Transcript
Photos from third round

Interesting Articles for Those of You Who Just Can't Get Enough
Guthrie, Thompson face tough tests from PGA National, strong leaderboard
Daily Wrap-up: The Honda Classic, Round 3
5 Things: Guthrie, Thompson tied for lead heading into Sunday
Unknowns Luke Guthrie and Michael Thompson tied for lead after three rounds of Honda Classic
Michael Thompson and Luke Guthrie share Honda Classic lead


Round 4 Television Coverage
TV coverage is as follows:

Golf Channel     1-3pm ET

NBC                     3-6pm ET

Online Links

Leaderboard

Michael on Shot Tracker
Michael's Group on Shot Tracker
Live@ Streaming Coverage of holes 3 and 9 (9am-6pm ET)

Look Who's Climbing the Leaderboard by Playing "Michael Thompson Golf"

Michael Thompson looks over a birdie putt during the second round of the Honda Classic.

by Roz Roberts III

It took a few weeks to knock the rust off, but Michael Thompson's golf game is looking as good as ever.  Michael spent the last couple of weeks working with golf coach Susie Meyers and based on the first two rounds at the Honda Classic the practice is paying dividends.  Michael followed his three under par 67 from the first round with an even better five under par 65.  His 36 hole score of eight under par has him in second place going into the weekend one shot off the lead of Luke Guthrie.

He is playing what Alabama coach Jay Seawell calls "Michael Thompson Golf".  So what is "Michael Thompson Golf"?  It's keeping the ball in the short grass and finding greens in regulation. From there you putt like few people on the planet can.  “I’m a good putter, so if I can get on the green quickly, it doesn't really matter where I am.  I can make putts; I know I can.”

The recipe is working for Michael at the difficult PGA National course.  He's hit 28 out of 36 greens in regulation (T2) and 21 out of 28 fairways (T13).  He's also 16th in the strokes gained putting stat for the tournament.

Michael watches his bunker shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the Honda Classic.

Articles and Videos from Round 2
Guthrie, Thompson dissect PGA National to top of leaderboard
A nice re-cap from one of our favorite Golweek writers Sean Martin

Michael Thompson Interviewed After Round 2 of the Honda Classic
A post round video interview from PGATour.com

Interview Transcript

Round 3 Tee Times
Michael will be paired with current leader Luke Guthrie in the final group of the day.  They tee off at 1:40pm ET.

Round 3 Television Coverage
Michael should get some face time tomorrow since he's in the final pairing.  TV coverage is as follows:

Golf Channel     1-3pm ET

NBC                     3-6pm ET

Online Links

Leaderboard

Michael on Shot Tracker
Michael's Group on Shot Tracker (coming soon)
Live@ Streaming Coverage of holes 3 and 9 (9am-6pm ET)

Strong Finish Leaves Thompson in a Tie for 16th

by Roz Roberts III

Michael Thompson finished the first round at the Honda Classic with back to back birdies which vaulted him up the leaderboard into a tie for 16th at three under par.  Michael was hitting greens all day long as he managed to reach 14 out of 18 of them in regulation.  He parlayed his opportunities into 5 birdies and a sparkling 67.

Michael and playing partners Kevin Stadler and Ryo Ishikawa have the first tee time of the day on the first hole.  Their starting time is bright and early at 6:45am ET.

Online Links
Leaderboard
Michael on Shot Tracker
Michael's Group on Shot Tracker
Live@ Streaming Coverage of holes 3 and 9 (8am-6pm ET)

The Honda Classic Gets the Florida Swing Started

by Roz Roberts III

Michael Thompson and the rest of the PGA Tour start the five week Florida Swing portion of the season tomorrow at the Honda Classic.  Michael will be looking to rebound from a tough West Coast Swing and get some momentum going as he prepares for his first trip to the Masters as a professional in April.  This part of the season will be closer to his home in Birmingham, Alabama and will allow for a more relaxed travel schedule.

For the first two rounds of the Honda Classic, Michael will be paired with Kevin Stadler and Ryo Ishikawa.  They will tee off from the 10th hole at 11:45am ET for Thursday's first round.

Online Links
Leaderboard
Michael on Shot Tracker
Michael's Group on Shot Tracker
Live@ Streaming Coverage of holes 3 and 9 (8am-6pm ET)

West Coast Swing Continues

by Roz Roberts III

The PGA Tour's West Coast swing continues this week at the famed Riviera Country Club which is hosting the Northern Trust Open.  Michael Thompson will be playing in the event for the second time.  Michael will be looking to improve on last year's tie for 17th at this event.

Michael will playing the first two rounds with playing partners Charles Howell III and Casey Wittenberg.  They will tee off the first round Thursday morning at 6:50am PT from the tenth hole.

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