Heading Into the Weekend, Rookie Davis Thompson En Route to Break a 40-Year-Old PGA Tour Record

Davis Thompson, a PGA Tour rookie, is making headlines after he topped the leaderboard at The American Express tournament. The tournament is being held at La Quinta and features 156 players. They are competing in a 72-hole competition with a purse of $8 million. His performance has put him in a prominent position to win the tournament and earn a significant amount of prize money. 

The 23-year-old PGA Tour rookie started the round by making birdies on three of the first four holes before making eagles on hole No. 5 and 6 on the front nine, both par fives. His front-nine score of 8-under 28 was the lowest front-nine score ever seen at the competition, thanks to his excellent performance.

The rookie’s performance on the front nine is a testament to his skill and potential as a professional golfer. 

Davis Thompson turned into a super rookie going into the weekend at La Quinta 

The result of Thompson’s stellar performance put him in the lead by two strokes over Jon Rahm. Notably, the Spaniard recently discovered that despite being the current world no. 4, he won’t be able to become no. 1 even after winning this week, but current world no. 5, Patrick Cantlay can. Thompson’s strong showing in the first round of the match is an excellent start to what could be a successful debut season on the PGA Tour.

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After a record showcase of golf skills, he said, “I just got off to a hot start and just kind of coasted on my way in. It’s always good to see some putts go in early and give you the confidence to just keep it rolling.”

According to golf analytics expert Justin Ray’s Twitter post, “He’s the first player in the ’22-23 season to have back-to-back eagles in a round.” However, it was an unusual and outstanding achievement on the PGA tour. The last player to make back-to-back eagles on the PGA Tour was Shane Lowry at the 2022 British Open at St. Andrews. 

In the first round of The American Express tournament, the Tour rookie had a strong showing, shooting a career-low 10-under 62, which put him in the lead by two strokes over Jon Rahm and four other players. He made three more eagles in the second round on Friday, bringing his total to five through 36 holes. This tied the PGA Tour record for the most eagles in a 72-hole tournament since 1983. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the remaining rounds of the tournament.

A walk back to his rookie career

Thompson had a successful amateur career, winning four individual titles while studying at the University of Georgia. He also won the NCAA titles twice in 2019 and 2021. He reached World No. 1 in the amateur rankings in November 2020. And he continued to perform well in the professional ranks, finishing T58 in the Rocket Classic Mortgage in 2021. 

He won the REX Hospital Open in 2022 and earned his PGA Tour card by finishing the season-long Korn-Ferry eligibility points list. These achievements demonstrate Thompson’s hard work, dedication to his craft, and potential for a successful career as a professional golfer on the PGA Tour.

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Thompson’s success in The American Express tournament is an excellent achievement for a young and talented golfer. It will be interesting to see his performance in the coming tournament rounds.