Davis Thompson triumphs at PGA John Deere Classic

Davis Thompson, the 25-year-old American golfer, secured his maiden PGA Tour victory at the John Deere Classic on Sunday. Thompson's impressive performance saw him card a seven-under par 64 in the final round, leading to a comfortable four-stroke win at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
Thompson's exceptional play was highlighted by a blistering start, as he birdied five of the first six holes.His 72-hole total of 28-under 256 set a new tournament record, surpassing the previous mark of 27-under set by fellow American Michael Kim in 2018.
Currently ranked 70th in the world, Thompson maintained his momentum after the hot start, adding birdies on the 9th and 10th holes. Despite a lone bogey on the 12th, he responded with a birdie on the 14th and confidently parred the remaining holes to secure his breakthrough victory on the PGA Tour.
"I just tried to stay present all day," Thompson said. "When that putt finally went in, just a big sigh of relief."
CT Pan from Taiwan, along with Michael Thorbjornsen and amateur Luke Clanton, both from the United States, finished in a tie for second place with a total score of 260.
"A lot of confidence seeing the ball roll in today. It was nice," Griffin said. "It was a really good round."
After competing in 63 PGA events, Thompson finally secured his inaugural victory. This triumph comes on the heels of his second-place finish the previous week in Detroit, another runner-up result in May at Myrtle Beach, and a similar outcome last year in the California desert.
"It's great," Thompson said. "I've been working hard this year. It was OK for a while then I kind of got going this past month. Played well last week and just tried to keep it rolling this week and I was able to get the win."
Thompson and Pan secured their spots in the upcoming British Open at Royal Troon, which is set to take place in a fortnight. As the two highest-ranked players who had not already qualified for the prestigious event, they earned their berths through their exceptional performances.
"Qualifying for the Open was just an added incentive into this," said Thompson. "The goal was to win the golf tournament after getting here this week and I got off to a great start and was able to finish it off."
Thompson is currently staying in the same rental house that served as the accommodation for JT Poston, the 2022 John Deere champion, and Sepp Straka of Austria, the 2023 John Deere champion, during their victorious weeks. Interestingly, Thompson is occupying the exact bedroom that Straka used the previous year.
While it could be purely coincidental, Thompson has no intention of relinquishing his place in the "Trophy House," despite the fact that staying there comes with a costly tradition.
"Definitely not," Thompson said. "I think I have to pay for the whole house now, which is unfortunate, but I'll gladly write the check for that."
Starting the day with a two-stroke advantage, Thompson showcased his putting prowess early on, sinking a birdie putt from just inside 45 feet on the first hole and following it up with a tap-in birdie on the par-5 second.
Thompson's hot streak continued as he drained birdie putts from just inside 14 feet on the fourth, just inside 30 feet on the fifth, and just inside 13 feet on the sixth.
Maintaining his momentum, Thompson birdied the ninth from just beyond six feet and the par-5 10th. Despite a bogey on the 12th, he bounced back with a tap-in birdie on the 14th.