Michael Thompson

Thompson saw a golf tournament on TV when he was 6 and has been "hooked ever since." Has two brothers, one is a U.S. Air Force pilot (Zach), and the other an IBM employee with four kids (Ryan). His sister, Darcy, is a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. His wife, Rachel, is a doctor of physical therapy, and an Emory University graduate.
Attended University High School in Tucson, Ariz., helping lead his team to the 2001 state championship. Was a finalist in the 2007 U.S. Amateur, losing to Colt Knost 2 and 1 in the finals at Olympic Club. Had competed in two previous U.S. Amateurs in 2004 (lost in the first round) and in 2006 (didn't make it to match play). Thompson suffered a bit of bad luck as he originally went to Tulane but was forced to transfer to Alabama after Tulane disbanded golf in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Finished T-16th at PGA Tour Q-School in December of 2010, which got him on the PGA Tour for 2011.
2011 Notes: In his rookie year, he claimed a pair of top-five finishes at the Travelers Championship (4th) and at the McGladrey Classic (3rd) where he led going into the final round. On the final hole was tied for the lead before driving into a hazard, leading to a bogey and he missed the playoff by a shot. Finished the year 115th in the FedEx Cup standings and 98th on the money list.
2012 Notes: Started the year with a T6th at the Sony Open in Hawaii, but had his biggest moment at the U.S. Open. Returning to Olympic Club, the course where he was runner-up in the 2007 U.S. Amateur, in his third career major start shot a final-round 3-under 67 to take the clubhouse lead. Eventually finished T2nd just one stroke behind champion Webb Simpson. Finished the year 92nd in the FedExCup standings and 60th on the money list, going over the million-dollar mark for the first time.
2013 Notes: Played in 22 PGA Tour events making 11 cuts with three top-ten finishes. After missing the cut in three of his first four starts of the year made birdie at the 72nd hole to give him a two-shot victory over Geoff Ogilvy at The Honda Classic for his first PGA Tour title. The win snapped a streak of international winners at the event, which dated to 2008. The next week finished T-8th at the WGC-Mexico Championship. Had another T-8th at the Memorial. Played in three FedExCup playoff events and finished 66th in the standings.
2014 Notes: Played in 22 PGA Tour events making 15 cuts with one top-ten. His best finish was T-10th at the Crowne Plaza Invitational. Was 117th in the FedExCup race.
2015 Notes: Played in 27 PGA Tour events making 14 cuts with one top-ten. Best finish T-3rd at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Was 146th in the FedExCup standings so was forced to play in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. FInished T-2nd at the Hotel Fitness Championship, played in two more events and finished 8th on the Korn Ferry Tour playoff money list and 14th on the priority rank to regain his PGA Tour card for 2016.
2016 Notes: Played in 23 PGA Tour events making 13 cuts with one top-ten finish. Best finish T-4th at the Barbasol Championship. With this finish and a T-14th at the RBC Canadian Open had a chance to get to the FedExCup playoffs, but missed the cut in his last three starts, finishing 145th in the FedExCup. So for a second straight year went to the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and again came through with a great finish, he won the Albertsons Boise Open to save his PGA Tour card for 2017.
2017 Notes: Played in 21 PGA Tour events making nine cuts with one top-ten. Best finish T-10th at the Puerto Rico Open. Unfortunately, his season was cut short when he withdrew from the Quicken Loans National with a shoulder injury and he didn't play again finishing the year 148th on the FedExCup standings.
2018 Notes: With his season-ending early with a shoulder injury, he played in 2018 on a combination of a minor medical extension, past champion status, and conditional card from finishing 148th in the FedEx Cup standings. Played in 19 PGA Tour events making 12 cuts and no top-tens. His best finish was T-14th at the Houston Open. Was 142nd in the FedExCup so he had to return to Korn Ferry Tour Finals. After missing the cut in the first two events, was 6th at the Albertson's Boise Open and T-21st at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. So again he saved his PGA Tour card for 2019 with his 46th place finish in the final priority ranking.
2019 Notes: Played in 22 PGA Tour events making 14 cuts with four top-ten finishes. Finished 89th in the FedExCup standings. Was T-9th at the Desert Classic. Was T-10th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am, closed 69-66 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Pebble Beach Golf Links, respectively, and played his final 35 holes without a bogey. The next week at the Genesis Open shot a second-round 64 and went on to finish T-7th. Was T-10th at the RBC Heritage. In the FedExCup Playoffs missed the cut at the Northern Trust.
2020 Notes: Played in 20 PGA Tour events making 10 cuts with two top-ten finishes. Was 59th in the FedExCup standings. After a slow start to his season didn't get his first top-ten until after the break, a T-8th at the RBC Heritage. Then at the 3M Open, he posted rounds of 64-66-68-67, his second-lowest score ever on tour in his 228th tour start to win for the second time (2013 Honda). With the victory, Thompson went from 218th in the Official World Golf Ranking to 99th but more importantly got to play in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational (finished T-57th) and the PGA Championship (missed cut). In the FedExCup playoffs missed the cut at the Northern Trust and T-59th at the BMW Championship.
2021 Notes: Was T-5th at The American Express, eight shots back of winner Si Woo Kim.