Former Tide Golfer Michael Thompson Wins Hooters Tour Event
8/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Aug. 2, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - Former Alabama All-American golfer Michael Thompson earned his first professional win on Sunday afternoon with an eight-under-par 64 in the final round of the NGA Hooters Tour Michelob Ultra Classic at the Auburn University Club.
Thompson entered the final round three strokes behind former Crimson Tide teammate Matthew Swan, but got his final-round charge started with a birdie on the first hole. After a par on the second hole, Thompson rolled in four straight birdies before making his only bogey of the day on number seven. He then sank a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth hole to make the turn at five-under-par 31 for the round and alone in first place at 14-under for the tournament.
The back nine was no different as Thompson picked up more strokes on the field with birdies on 10 and 11. After four straight pars, Thompson carded his ninth and final birdie of the day on the par-5 16th hole. He finished the week with rounds of 66-70-71-64 for a four day total of 17-under-par 271 and $30,000 in winnings. The final-round 64 was the lowest recorded all week.
With the victory on Sunday, Thompson moves into third place on the NGA Hooters Tour season's money list with $67,314 in earnings and in first place for exemption into the Nationwide Tour's Knoxville News Sentinel Open August 26-29.
Swan carded three straight rounds in the 60s, but his one-under-par 71 on Sunday was not enough to hold off his former teammate. Swan finished tied for third at 13-under-par 275 and earned $9,780.
As a senior in 2008, Thompson led Alabama to its first SEC Championship since 1979 by becoming the first Alabama golfer since Bobby Hill in 1952 to claim the individual championship. He was a first-team All-American and led UA with a 71.39 stroke average, which stood as Alabama's all-time record until Bud Cauley eclipsed that mark with a 71.32 scoring average in 2010.
