Five things to know about Davis Thompson

Davis Thompson is making just his third start as a pro this week, and he’s making the most of it. Thompson opened the rain-delayed Rocket Mortgage Classic with a bogey-free 63. Here’s 5 Things you need to know about the new pro who's on the leaderboard at Detroit Golf Club.

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1. TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER: If Thompson’s name sounds familiar, you may remember him from as the amateur who took the early lead in last year’s U.S. Open. He played his first 12 holes at Winged Foot in 4 under par to sit alone atop the leaderboard. He signed for an impressive 69 in the first round but missed the cut by one after shooting 78 the next day.

2. ALL-AMERICAN: Thompson was a first-team All-American for the University of Georgia in 2020 and 2021 and this year's SEC Player of the Year. He turned pro last month as the second-ranked player in the inaugural PGA TOUR University ranking, behind only John Pak. Thompson also was a member of this year’s victorious U.S. Walker Cup team. Thompson is the quiet type who lets his clubs do the talking.

“He’s not flashy, not very talkative. I just love the work ethic,” said Georgia head coach Chris Haack. I’ve had a lot of really good players, and he works as hard or harder than anybody I’ve ever had.”

3. CASHING CHECKS: Thompson made his pro debut three weeks ago at the Palmetto Championship at Congaree. He made the cut despite being 5 over on his first eight holes of the tournament. He closed his first round with four straight birdies to shoot 71, then shot 69 to make the cut. Weekend rounds of 71 and 70 left him in a tie for 35th place, which earned him $33,336.67. He also played in last week’s Travelers Championship, missing the cut after rounds of 73 and 68.

Non-members can accept up to seven sponsor exemptions per season. This is Thompson’s third.

4. PRO PEDIGREE: Thompson is used to playing along side PGA TOUR pros. Fellow Georgia alums Harris English and Brendon Todd are among the guys he plays with at home in Sea Island, Georgia. World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III is another. Thompson’s father, Todd, is the tournament director of The RSM Classic at Sea Island (and is a former captain of the Georgia golf team himself). Davis twice played in The RSM Classic as an amateur, including a T23 finish in 2019. Nepotism didn’t lead to his spot in the field, however. He earned it.

5. JONESING FOR A VICTORY: Thompson earned his spots in The RSM with his success in the Jones Cup, a prestigious amateur event held at nearby Ocean Forest. Past winners include Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Corey Conners and Kyle Stanley. The winner receives an exemption into the RSM. Thompson lost a playoff to Akshay Bhatia in 2019 but earned the invitation after Bhatia turned pro. The next year, Thompson torched the Jones Cup field. He shot a tournament-record, 13-under 203 to win by nine shots.