	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE MCGLADREY CLASSIC

October 15, 2011

Michael Thompson

SEA ISLAND, GEORGIA

LAURY LIVSEY: We'd like to welcome Michael Thompson into the interview room. You are leading the 2011 McGladrey Classic after 54 holes. Your thoughts about your day and your position going into tomorrow?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Obviously very happy. Bogey-free round today on Saturday is always a good thing, no matter where I stand. To have the lead going into tomorrow is very exciting. All in all, a great day. I went through struggles; I had good moments out there. It was just a typical golf round. I'm just very, very excited about tomorrow. I'm going to learn a lot, and I'm just going to enjoy it.

Q. Anything stand out for you?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: For tomorrow or for today?

Q. For today.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: The big moment was the save on 14. That was a critical moment in terms of keeping up the momentum, and kind of felt like I got away with one there. I mean, I don't know, I got off to a great start, just played real solid, made some good putts early. I love No. 9; I've birdied that three days in a row now.
It's a great golf course, great venue. McGladrey has done a great job with sponsorship, and just very happy to be here.

Q. If you had to make a guess, how many times do you think you've been in the same group with Billy in a pro competition?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I played with him, I believe, final round of the SEC Championship of 2008 when we won. And I've played with him a couple times during college, and I've played with him once this year. He got out here a little sooner than I did, so I haven't seen him a lot around the Hooters Tour, but today was a lot of fun getting to catch up. Billy and I have a lot in common. Really proud that there's two Ping bags in the final group. We're just two young guys having a great time on the PGA TOUR.

Q. And then the follow-up to that is I know he had a little bit of a disaster on 16. That could have turned into the same thing for you on 14, could have easily been a double. Didn't work out well for him, but do you see the positives of what you did, 3-under, no bogeys, a great save on 14? You earned where you are right now, didn't you?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yeah, I feel that way. I did my process really well, and I'm proud of that. Coming down the stretch, I could be a little bit better. I was starting to play kind of a match play against Billy, and on 16 I knew if I could hit a good shot in there, I could take advantage of that opportunity. So in that sense I was thinking more of the outcome rather than the process.
But just really proud of the way I stuck together. I was kind of losing my tee shots a little bit on the back nine and got into some trouble where I normally shouldn't have been, and just -- to be able to play under that pressure, now I know I can do it, and one more day tomorrow, and I'm playing with the same guy. That's always a benefit because we got along well today, and it should be fun tomorrow.

Q. What kind of lie were you looking at on that third shot on 14?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I was just praying on the drop that I'd get a good lie, and it was kind of on a downslope so I really just played like a bunker shot, like a downhill bunker shot. I knew if I just carried it on the front of the green, it would roll out to about the hose, maybe a little bit past. Just looking to give myself a putt there, just to have a chance for par. I felt lucky enough that I would have a chance for par after my tee shot. I thought I'd be dropping back in the fairway, hitting my third shot to the green.
Just to have a chance to get up-and-down for par was great, and just hit an awesome bunker shot on that third shot, and it worked out great. I was very happy and took advantage and made the putt.

Q. From your standpoint, I know you're worrying about your thing on 18, but from your standpoint how good a par was that for Billy?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: It was just as good as my par on 14. He kind of had the same situation, and I'm standing there with my caddie, and I said, "Come on, Billy, hit it close." I'm never rooting against a guy, and I know he struggled on 16, so I wanted him to feel like he had some kind of redemption, and he played that great. I was very proud of him.

Q. Obviously your putt on 18 looked like you had it --
MICHAEL THOMPSON: That was one of the best putts I hit all day. I hit that so solid, looked like it was going in the hole about a foot out, and I don't know, something yanked it left. Just one of those things where you hit a good putt, be happy about it. If it goes in, great; if not, not the end of the world.

Q. You talked yesterday about trying to block out everything else out and just focus on your game whenever you're in one of these positions. Is playing with Billy again tomorrow with you guys out in front, is that going to be good or bad for you?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I think it's going to be good. I think to build off of what we did today -- we had a great time out there; we were talking a lot; we were laughing. It was just like playing at your country club on a Saturday. It really made it feel -- made me feel comfortable going out there and playing with a buddy of mine. We get to do the same thing tomorrow, so in that sense, I know how to think now, in the final group on the weekend, and whether I have the lead or not, it really doesn't matter, I'm just going to go out and play my game and add up the score at the end, and hopefully I'll be the top guy, you know.
LAURY LIVSEY: Thanks a lot for your time. Appreciate you coming in.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297