UGA's Davis Thompson carries on Southeast Georgia's Players Championship tradition
Bulldog fans know it well: University of Georgia sports has turned Northeast Florida into winning territory of late.
Could Davis Thompson join the list of Bulldog triumphs on the First Coast? After 18 holes, he's happy with his opening-round rhythm.
"You've just got to give yourself chances out here," he said. "If you can get the putter rolling, you can take it deep."
In his debut round at the Players Championship, the St. Simons Island resident and former Bulldog golfer shot a steady 2-under 70 to enter the clubhouse still in the hunt following Thursday's first round.
Aiming to join the likes of Davis Love III and Matt Kuchar as Southeast Georgia champions at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, Thompson said he's enjoying the near-hometown experience.
"It is nice putting on the Bermuda greens, because it's what we putt on back home," he said.
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While Thompson said it's not his first visit to the course — he played a junior tournament there around age 12 — it's the first one at the top level for the 23-year-old.
He wasn't intimidated. Starting on the back nine in the day's second group, Thompson overcame a bogey on the opening hole, hitting birdies on the fifth and seventh to enter the clubhouse in the top 10 among golfers in the early groups.
"I hit two great shots [on 11] and once I did that, I was kind of in the rhythm of the round," he said.
Originally from Auburn, Ala., Thompson played for the powerful Georgia program from 2017 to 2021 and climbed to the top of the amateur rankings. In his first full season on the PGA Tour after qualifying through the 2021-2022 Korn Ferry Tour season, he entered the week at 32nd in the FedEx Cup standings, and he's no stranger to the upper portion of the leaderboard.
In January, Thompson went head-to-head against Jon Rahm, through the final round at The American Express in California, a tournament that also includes a Pete Dye-designed course. On that occasion, Thompson finished 26 under but had to settle for second, one stroke behind Rahm.
After testing his skills against the world's No. 1 player, he's feeling confident for the challenge of the sport's giants.
"I draw on that experience a lot, but you've also got to move forward and prepare for each new event," he said.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: The Players Championship 2023: Davis Thompson first-round contender in debut
