SILVIS, In poor health. — Davis Thompson had been working towards a second like this, and he wasn’t about to let something cease him — not a delicate golf course that produced the very best scores of the week, not the strain of making an attempt to win for the primary time on the PGA Tour.
He began with a two-shot lead. Six holes into the ultimate spherical Sunday, Thompson had 5 birdies, had stretched his result in six pictures and was on his strategy to a four-shot victory, a spot within the subsequent three majors and the bottom 72-hole rating within the John Deere Traditional.
“I am simply grateful it labored out. I acquired off to an incredible begin right now and was capable of simply sort of cruise on the again 9,” Thompson stated after closing with a 7-under 64. “Getting off to a superb begin was essential, and I used to be simply capable of experience the momentum coming in.”
Thompson, 25, made a 45-foot birdie putt on the primary gap for a three-shot lead, and nobody acquired nearer to him the remainder of the best way.
The golfer from Georgia completed at 28-under 256 to interrupt by one stroke the John Deere Traditional document set by Michael Kim in 2018.
“I simply wished to remain aggressive,” Thompson stated. “I knew there can be low scores on the market right now as a result of the wind sort of died down and the circumstances have been just a little delicate. So I knew I used to be going to need to go play properly. Fortunately, I made an incredible putt on 1 and had an incredible up and down on 2 and saved the ball rolling.”
The victory will get him into the following three majors, beginning with The Open in two weeks at Royal Troon. He additionally will make his Masters debut subsequent April.
Thompson is the twenty fourth participant to get his first PGA Tour win on the John Deere Traditional, probably the most of any event relationship to 1970.
The ultimate hour was all about who would end second and earn the opposite spot in The Open. That went to C.T. Pan of Taiwan, who birdied the sixteenth and seventeenth holes and completed with a two-putt par from 20 toes for a 64.
However a pair of kids made him sweat it out.
Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th gap for a 63 and was the primary to get to 24 beneath. Michael Thorbjornsen, the No. 1 participant within the PGA Tour College rating after ending at Stanford, hit out of a fairway bunker to 18 toes and made the birdie putt for a 63 to affix Clanton.
With a three-way tie for second, The Open spot went to Pan primarily based on the world rating.
“Truthfully going to be hectic to rearrange all of the journey particulars final minute, however it is going to be a superb drawback to have,” Pan stated.
Clanton, in the meantime, grew to become the primary newbie since Billy Joe Patton in 1958 to complete within the prime 10 in consecutive PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments. Patton was low newbie on the Masters and the U.S. Open that 12 months. Clanton tied for tenth on the Rocket Mortgage Traditional final week.
Clanton’s final two weeks would have been price simply over $804,000 if he had been professional.
“We got here into the week with fairly excessive expectations I assume you can say after final week,” Clanton stated. “I believe I sort of reached that expectation for certain. After all you wish to win. However once more, to do what I did on the market right now was superior.”
As for the winner, that was by no means unsure. Together with that 45-foot birdie putt to begin, Thompson rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 5 and had seven birdies via 10 holes.
He lastly dropped a shot on the par-4 twelfth, and Thorbjornsen seemed to have an opportunity to not less than make it attention-grabbing. The Massachusetts native ran off six straight birdies and was enjoying the reachable par-4 14th. However his drive went properly to the correct and he hit a heavy chip to some 35 toes. He three-putted for bogey, lacking a 4-foot par putt.
Thompson is in his second 12 months on the PGA Tour and he was a runner-up final week on the Rocket Mortgage Traditional. His hope was to maintain the momentum going.
Maybe his selection of lodging performed a task, too.
A number of gamers from Georgia have been renting a home close to the John Deere Traditional for the previous few years. J.T. Poston stayed there when he gained the Deere two years in the past. Sepp Straka stayed in the home final 12 months and gained.
Straka introduced his spouse and younger son with him this 12 months and gave up his room to Thompson.
“I believe I’ve to pay for the entire home, which is unlucky,” Thompson stated with a smile. “However I am going to gladly write the examine for that.”
The victory was price $1,440,000. It additionally strikes Thompson to No. 22 within the FedEx Cup standings, all however assuring he shall be in all of the signature occasions subsequent 12 months.
