Amateur Spotlight: Thompson Embarks On First Masters


April 9, 2008

By Stuart Hall

It is unfortunate that Michael Thompson will not cross paths with Davis Love III at the Masters, either in the Augusta National Golf Club locker room or on the putting green or even under the majestic oak tree outside the clubhouse. Just so he could say thank you.

Michael Thompson reacts to a missed putt during last year's U.S. Amateur semifinals. (John Mummert/USGA)

See, when Thompson was 6 years old he was sitting in front of the television, watching golf. On the screen was Love.

"I especially remember watching him hit an iron shot and hearing the reaction from the crowd, and thinking, 'That looks like a lot of fun, I think I could do that,'" said Thompson of Love, who will see his streak of 70 consecutive major starts snapped because he failed to meet any of the qualifying criteria or was not sent an invitation. Thompson will be making his first thanks to a runner-up finish at the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship.

But born for Thompson from that TV moment came a putter and a 9-iron, followed by impromptu chipping and putting on the greens as his parents, Mike and Beth, finished out their holes. And some lessons at a youth clinic a year later.

Thompson's story is not of a meteoric rise, but rather of positive progression. Born and raised in Tucson, Ariz., he improved to become one of the state's top-ranked junior players. Winning was nice, but improving was equally satisfying - a philosophy that Thompson, a senior at the University of Alabama, adopted.

"Don't get me wrong, everyone wants to win," said Thompson, who will turn 23 on April 16. "But I'm more long term than short term. I enjoy winning, but I would almost rather play OK and learning something about myself rather than beating everybody and not learning anything.

"There's always that one or two shots in a round where you can say 'Woulda, coulda, shoulda.' But in the big picture, if I go out and play solid and put up good scores, then I know I'm going to finish in the top 10. And to me that speaks more volumes . to finish consistently well than it does to go out and win a tournament one week and then play poorly the next."

Of his 42 collegiate starts prior to leaving for Augusta, Thompson had totaled 22 top-10 finishes - including a current streak of 13 straight. He also has four wins, all coming in his first two years at Tulane University before Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans and uprooted the entire community.

The wins showed Thompson that he could play and win at the collegiate level. But he readily admits that the wins came against fields of a lesser level than he's playing at now. He knew could play, but he also knew he needed to improve.

"I always talk about it being a blessing in disguise, Hurricane Katrina," said Thompson. "It gave me opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise."

Thompson originally chose Tulane because coach Tom Shaw was the first to call him when the official recruiting period began on July 1, 2003. It was an 8 a.m. wake-up call that impressed Thompson enough that someone actually wanted him to play for their team. Plus he liked the idea of a new culture, and different playing conditions.

When the team was disbanded as a result of Katrina, Thompson had to look elsewhere. He searched farther east at Florida, to his north at Oklahoma State and even back west at New Mexico. But nearby Alabama suited him best.

"I just felt Alabama was a place where golf was still fun and enjoyable," he said. "I didn't feel like [coach] Jay [Seawell] put a lot of pressure on players to perform well, that he was more about making sure getting better every year. And that's the way I've been thinking every year since I've been playing. And I wanted an environment that was very positive, very constructive, and just a fun place to be. That really caught my attention."

Slowly, he was also catching the attention of those who follow the game beyond just those who win. His own eye-opening experience came at the 2007 Players Amateur, where he posted four sub-70 rounds en route a 22 under par second-place finish.

"Even though I didn't win, it showed me what I'm capable of when everything is going right, when I'm thinking positive, when I'm confident in myself," said Thompson, who also won the Greystone Invitational and finished third at the Jones Cup.

His run at the U.S. Amateur, beginning with a first-round upset of U.S. Walker Cup player Webb Simpson and ending with a 2-and-1 loss to Colt Knost in the championship at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, gave his name further credence. Enough so that he was the first alternate for the Walker Cup team.

It also got him to where he is now. On the doorstep of his first Masters, where he will room with fellow collegian Drew Weaver of Virginia Tech, the reigning British Amateur champion.

His first practice round, back in February, was just another lesson on the path to improvement.

"I was a little nervous, definitely put a lot of pressure on myself that I need to go out and hit perfect shot every time," he said. "I learned quickly, though, that it's still the same game."

At some point, Thompson may run into Mark O'Meara and exchange pleasantries. After all, O'Meara won the first Masters Thompson ever watched.

Stuart Hall is a freelance writer whose work has appeared previously on www.usga.org.