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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 19, 2008

Michael Thompson

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT

DOUG MILNE: Michael Thompson, thanks for joining us at the Travelers Championship. Very impressive start for your first PGA TOUR-sanctioned debut, a 5-under 65 today. Just a couple comments I asked you on the way in. You're obviously not used to this much media attention, so just talk about some of the feelings and thoughts after your round.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I was really glad I made that last putt to begin with. It really is weird. I haven't had a bogey-free round in a long time, so going through the day I really -- it's hard for me to remember any specific one shot because I just felt like I was playing golf. I was not nervous at all out there, and it was just a lot of fun. I felt like myself, which is always a good feeling.
DOUG MILNE: You made the comment out there that it's nice to come to a regular course. Obviously you fared well last week at the U.S. Open. Some of the obvious ones we know, some of the differences, but talk about what you meant by that comment.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Well, the fairways are a little bit wider here, greens are a little slower, not too much. The rough obviously isn't up as much as the U.S. Open. It's just -- you know, this is a great golf course. It's something you would -- someone would go out and play every day, and that's what I like about it. It's a fun golf course.

Q. Could you talk about the thoughts? Did you take this in part because you're going to play in the Palmer Cup next week, or how did that all work out?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I've been talking with Nathan Grube the last couple weeks, and we were just kind of talking on the phone. I sent him a packet with my stuff. My mom kind of handles all that. She put a packet together and sent it to a whole bunch of different tournament directors. So he gave me a call and wanted to chat and see how I was doing and where I was going. He knew I was playing the U.S. Open, and I told him I was going to stay amateur for the Palmer Cup, and he said we might have a spot available for you, and a week later he called me back and said, "We'd to have to have you play in the tournament, a spot opened up." I said, "Yeah, I'll play."
This is a great opportunity. Even though I'm -- people have been asking me about the seven exemptions and all that and staying amateur, but my goal for the whole year has been to play on the Palmer Cup team. I committed to that and I wanted to do that. I also felt like I couldn't give up this opportunity because if I play well, then I have some great -- some doors that open up for me. You've just got to take advantage of that.
So I'm here to have fun. There's no pressure, there's nothing to lose, just going out and playing golf and see how I do.

Q. Can you talk about the fun you had on No. 10?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: (Laughing) yeah, that was quite unexpected there. Just really just hit two good shots. The second shot was going right at the hole, and it landed and it never moved and didn't bounce right or left, and I said, oh, okay. I thought I saw it go in, and then one of the guys, the volunteer behind the green, threw up his hands. As soon as he did that, I knew it went in.

Q. What did you hit?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I hit a 6-iron in.

Q. From how far?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: From 196.

Q. When was the last time you eagled a hole like that?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Last time I holed out it had to be at least a year ago. It was a college event, I think. Maybe almost two years ago at -- it was at Shoal Creek at UABs tournament, my first semester at Alabama. I holed out on the 1st hole.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yeah, just because that tree comes into play.

Q. After you sink a shot like that, how do you keep your emotions under control? You still have eight holes to play.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: For me, I focus on my breathing, walking slow. Anything to kind of calm yourself down because your heart rate gets up, okay, I'm 3-under now. So anything to do to calm yourself down, and for me breathing really helps. Take some keep -- take ten deep breaths and I feel like I'm back to normal and just taking my time. I'm already done with the hole, so I can walk slowly.

Q. Last week I'm sure like low amateur would be a goal. Is there any way of having like a goal or expectations for a week like this?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: You know, I think for my position, being an amateur playing on the PGA TOUR, the first PGA TOUR event ever, just making a cut is a great thing, let alone playing well. I kind of have the feeling this week that I'm treating it as an amateur event, no offense to the tournament itself. But for me that helps me calm down and play my game, not get all -- not get too excited, not get too nervous.
So for me, I'm thinking back to my amateur summer last year and kind of comparing this to that, and I really like what I see out here. It's a great golf course, and it just fits my eye.

Q. Why is the Palmer Cup so important to you?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Just because I get to represent my country. I get to represent the U.S. I think any time you get to do that, it's a phenomenal thing, whether it be amateur or pro. Hopefully one day I'll make the Ryder Cup team. I wanted the Walker Cup so bad that when I found out about the Palmer Cup and that I might have a chance of making that team, that's what I worked forward to. I didn't necessarily work forward to getting into this tournament. Palmer Cup was what I was working for all year long.
It's just fortunate that I was able to squeeze this in between the U.S. Open and that, three great tournaments all in a row. It's a great way to start off my summer.

Q. Could you talk about what finishing Low Amateur meant to you at the U.S. Open and also seeing Tiger and Rocco? What were the emotions like last week?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: It was great finishing Low Am. I knew it would be tough playing for the amateurs, competing against Ricky and Derek. They're both on the Palmer Cup team, as well. Ricky is a great player, and Derek is a great player, as well, and a really good friend of mine. You know, just -- I just felt like last week I went out and played my game again and just played solid. I mean, I made quite a few birdies, actually, and obviously on a U.S. Open you're going to have bogeys. But I just played my game, and then I did the same today.
Winning the Low Am last week was -- I mean, it was important but not the main goal. I think the main goal for me there was making the cut because that gets me through to the second stage of Q-school in the fall. That's where I plan on going from here.

Q. Just the whole watching -- where did you watch Tiger from on Sunday?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I actually didn't go back out after I was done and watch him. But I remember playing, you could see where the crowd was. It was like, oh, that's Tiger's group. It's kind of funny seeing that.
I guess it was a good thing for me because there wasn't as many people watching me so I wasn't as nervous. It's always fun -- it's been fun for me at The Masters and the U.S. Open to play in the same tournament as Tiger. That's the guy you grew up -- people grew up idolizing now, and it's just cool. It's just cool.

Q. Did you take the charter, or how did you get here?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I did take the charter. That was very convenient, and I'm very thankful for Travelers for doing that. That was fantastic.
DOUG MILNE: Talk about, you were at Tulane; is that correct?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Uh-huh.
DOUG MILNE: Talk about the process there, not the easiest time in life for you.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I love New Orleans, and I always will. I'm glad that I was able to see that city before the hurricane hit, before it was destroyed practically, just because the culture there is so unique.
I had a great time playing for Tulane. I loved the guys that were on my team. I still keep in touch with most of them. Just being in New Orleans playing there, going to school, had a great coach, Tom Shaw. It was a lot fun. Maybe a little too much fun at times, being in New Orleans, but every college kid goes through that phase. I can't complain.
I wouldn't have gotten to where I am now without going to Tulane.

Q. How many years did you spend there?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I spent three full years. The third year I played -- we played that fall after the hurricane from SMU, and we home-based out of Dallas. I had the opportunity to red-shirt the spring semester and get the full year of eligibility back, so that's what I did. So I had two full years at Alabama, which was very useful.

Q. What was that whole experience like, the whole SMU phase?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: It was crazy. Going through that, I really had no clue what the next day had for me. We evacuated to Houston, the whole team evacuated to Houston. One of my teammates lived there. We left two days before the hurricane and basically waited there for a week watching the news every day. That was probably the scariest time, just because we had our eyes glued to the TV watching the news, and we saw the levees break and the breaking news, all that kind of stuff, what was going to happen. And then all these questions start flowing, haven't heard from coach in a while, waiting for his phone call.
And then you get to SMU, you're an outsider. They started school three weeks before we got there, so we were already behind. It was just a mess. I was rooming with some regular students there who weren't athletes, so they had their own time schedule, stayed up late, got up late. Being an athlete you go to bed early and get up early, you know?

Q. Some do.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Right, some do, the dedicated ones (laughter).
But it was just crazy. We were always waiting for a final word, a word from the University on what was going to happen. For us that came, I think, December 9th when they told us they were disbanding the golf team.

Q. How old are you?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: 23.

Q. This tournament has got a history of extending exemptions to amateurs, Hunter Mahan, I think, and a number of guys come to mind, Justin Leonard, David Duval. They were loyal to the tournament for years after that. Do you expect that you want to have a bond with certain --
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yeah, absolutely. Whenever I get an opportunity like this, I always want to try to repay them back, you know, and I would absolutely love coming back and playing here every year. That would be fantastic.
This is a great place. I have a lot of family up here. I spent a lot of summers and winters up here visiting my grandparents in New Hampshire. I'm staying with a very good friend down in Gilford. It's just a beautiful area, especially during the summer.
Obviously I love the golf course. This is a great, great track. I'd be very happy coming back here every year. That wouldn't bother me at all.
DOUG MILNE: Michael, thanks so much for your time. We appreciate it. Great round today, and best of luck tomorrow and on the weekend.

End of FastScripts

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