SILVIS, Ill. — Former University of Georgia golfer David Thompson just won the first PGA Tour major of his career at the 2024 John Deere Classic.
Thompson - in his second year on the PGA Tour - shot 28-under 256 over the course of the tournament, good for the lowest score in the history of the John Deere Classic. For winning first place, he earned a prize of $1,440,000.
“I’m just thankful it worked out,” Thompson said at the press conference after his win. “I got off to a great start today and was able to just kind of cruise on the back nine. Getting off to a good start was crucial, and I was just able to ride the momentum coming in.”
Thompson was a two-time All American at UGA, and won the 2021 SEC Player of the Year award. This was his first taste of PGA Tour gold, though.
The 25-year-old from Atlanta started Sunday with a two-hole lead, and ramped up throughout the contest. He ended the day with a four-shot lead over the competition, securing his first major win.
“I just wanted to stay aggressive,” Thompson said. “I knew there would be low scores out there (on Sunday) because the wind kind of died down and the conditions were a little soft. So I knew I was going to have to go play well. Thankfully, I made a great putt on (hole one) and had a great up and down on (hole two) and kept the ball rolling.”
Thompson was a runner-up in the Rocket Mortgage Classic two weeks ago. With the win, he earned a prize of $1,440,000 and a spot in the next three majors.
His next stop will be the British Open in two weeks at Royal Troon. He will also make his Masters debut next April.