Davis Thompson can officially call himself a PGA Tour winner in his 63rd start.
He shot a 7-under 64 in the final round to win the John Deere Classic at 28 under par, four strokes ahead of Michael Thorbjornsen, amateur Luke Clanton and C.T. Pang, who tied for second at 24 under par.
Thompson became the 24th first-time winner of the event, and he did so in style by setting the John Deere Classic 72-hole score record, first set by Michael Kim in 2018 with a score of 27 under par.
He’s been sober all week, but Thompson Free your emotions He met his wife once.
“Just seeing my wife meant a lot,” Thompson told CBS Sports commentator Amanda Balionis after his win. “I love my wife dearly and I’m so grateful she was there. I just tried to stay focused all day. When that putt finally went in, I just breathed a sigh of relief.”
Thompson was unable to contain her tears throughout her interview with Balionis, wiping them away multiple times.
For the 25-year-old, all that hard work has finally paid off.
“I’ve been working hard this year. I’ve been feeling good for a while, but I got better last month and played well last week,” he said. “I just tried to keep it going this week and get the win.”
Thompson, a former Georgia Bulldog, was on a roll from the opening tee shot, finishing the first six holes in five under par and adding his sixth birdie on the ninth hole to finish in 29. After nine holes, Thompson made a 120-foot putt and had a 139-foot putt by the end of the round.
His first birdie was from over 44 feet, followed by a 29-footer on the par-4 fifth hole. Thompson was allowing no mistakes and was in top form with his flat stick.
The Sea Island resident drilled an 8-foot putt on the 10th hole for his seventh birdie. His only misstep was a bogey on the 12th hole, but it was a mistake the youngster will never forget. Thompson made his final birdie on the 14th hole to get back to 7 under and then holed out with four straight pars.
Through four days of play, he was +18.694 in total strokes gained. He gained at least two strokes in all five major categories. Thompson led the field with 30 birdies.
In short, the former Bulldog played admirably.
He took over for 2023 John Deere Classic champion Sepp Straka in the Champions House, becoming just the third rider to win the event while remaining there.
JT Poston won a championship during his time there in 2022, Straka won last year and Thompson has now joined that legacy.
“No, absolutely not,” Thompson said of why she won’t ditch the tradition. “I guess I’d have to pay for the whole house now, which is a bummer, but I’d be happy to write a check.”
Thompson became the 12th Georgia golfer coached by Chris Hack and the 17th in the program’s history to win on the PGA Tour. The win also earned him a spot in the British Open later this month and next year’s Masters Tournament at Augusta National. He also moved up from 51st to 22nd in the FedEx Cup standings.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow us for more golf articles. Follow You can follow us on all major social platforms. You can also follow us on Twitter Follow Instagram: @savannah_leigh_sports
