Print this page  |  Close Window

PGATOUR.com news services

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- "It's my hometown event. I have to be in the field."

With those words, newly crowned HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship winner Nicholas Thompson completed his post-win duties at Clearwater Resort in Christchurch, New Zealand, Sunday night and headed to the airport to make the long trip to Florida and an appointment with the Monday qualifier for this week's PGA TOUR Honda Classic.

Thompson boarded a Qantas flight to Los Angeles a few hours after accepting the winner's trophy. The 7:40 p.m. flight arrived in Los Angeles at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, having crossed the International Date Line on the way. Thompson then waited almost 12 hours before boarding a 10:15 p.m. "red-eye" to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The flight arrived at 6:00 a.m., in time for him to negotiate the two-hour drive north and make his 9:45 a.m. tee time at the Martin Downs Country Club's Osprey Creek Course near Stuart, Fla.

But his valiant effort fell short, as he shot an even-par 71 to finish T38th among the 77 players in the starting field. Marco Dawson's 64 was the low score of the day, followed by Jay Williamson and Scott Parel (65s), and Bubba Dickerson (66).

Thompson, 24, birdied the final two holes of regulation play of the Nationwide Tour event on Sunday, then defeated Canadian David Morland IV on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. The win was his first as a professional, and he collected a check for $108,000.

As a member of the PGA TOUR in 2006, he made the cut in 15 of 28 starts, earning $264,717. His best finish was a tie for sixth at the B.C. Open presented by Turning Stone Resort.

Thompson was born and still resides in Coral Springs, Fla., near Fort Lauderdale. He is a 2005 graduate of Georgia Tech and played on that year's U.S. Walker Cup team.

Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved.