Thompson's win in Oregon was more than a dream  PGATOUR.com Correspondent There will be no more close calls. No more tough breaks or Nationwide Tour rookie mistakes. No more unsettling nightmares about career altering three-putts either.  The win in Oregon was Thompson's second of 2007. (WireImage) It took Kyle Thompson a little longer than anyone (Thompson certainly included) figured it might, but the Heartbreak Kid is finally headed to the PGA TOUR after five seasons of trying, sometimes a little too hard. And he'll finally move up in professional golf's class sans the baggage of two previous near misses. Thompson did it in style late Sunday at the Nationwide Tour's Oregon Classic presented by Kendall Auto Group, claiming his second victory of 2007 in a three-man playoff some would argue he had no business being in, at least until he slammed in an improbable 60-foot putt for eagle on the 72nd hole. But once in, Thompson was determined to win, using a pair of overtime birdies to eliminate Jon Turcott first and then Matthew Jones. "This is such a great feeling,'' Thompson said a few hours following his closing 67, playoff heroics and the prerequisite check ($85,500) and trophy presentations. That elation sensation wasn't the only emotion Thompson experienced after he shut the door. Relief was high on his list as well. "It's such a weight off my shoulders,'' he said, sighing about finally realizing his life-long dream. No wonder, given the events of Thompson's past. See, Easter could have come in each of Thompson's first two seasons on the Nationwide Tour. The opportunity to rise to the PGA TOUR was his for the taking, but he failed to seize the day. Sure there was some tough luck involved, but in the end, the failure was his. Fresh off an outstanding career at South Carolina, Thompson finished 25th on the money list in his rookie season of 2003, back when 20 players graduated to The Big Show. Thing is, Thompson entered the Nationwide Tour Championship as the money list bubble boy. And the bubble burst when Thompson could not protect his position. What made the closing slide even more painful -- he failed to break 73 -- was an error Thompson made in the season's second event in Australia. He was disqualified for failing to make this third-round tee time Down Under when a solid weekend at Royal Adelaide could have taken care of his money business. Thompson left the course following the second round thinking he had missed the cut. His last glance at a computer tracking tournament scoring told him he was in 61st place. The top 60 and ties play on the week. "I assumed I missed the cut,'' Thompson said.  Thompson has spent five years on the Nationwide Tour. (WireImage) What Thompson didn't take into account was an amateur was in the field and did not count toward the cut, meaning he made it on the number. It is a costly mistake Thompson will never forget and one that is now emphasized to players who play their way onto the PGA TOUR. It's now called the Thompson Rule in TOUR prep classes. "I never considered calling to see if I made the cut,'' he said. "I felt like the biggest dope on Tour.'' Thompson didn't feel much better at the end of the 2004 season. Once again, opportunity knocked. Once again, he failed to answer. All Thompson needed was two putts on the 72nd hole of the Nationwide Tour Championship. He took three. He finished in a tie for ninth and earned $15,625. Two putts would have meant a tie for fifth and a $21,187 paycheck. Do the math. That's a difference of $5,562. Thompson finished 22nd on the final money list with $193,835. That was $4,848 behind Gavin Coles who was 20th. Ouch! "That's two years, and I was so close,'' Thompson said. "But I'm sure everything happens for a reason.'' Thompson took a couple of steps back in 2005 and 2006. He tumbled to 74th, the direct product of breaking 70 once in 16 tries on Sundays. He improved to 53rd last year, but, given the standards set in his first two seasons, it still was a disappointment. "Chalk them up to growing pains,'' he said of the down years. His 2007 season has been interesting to say the least. Thompson has either been very good or very bad, considering he has made just nine of 23 cuts. Then again, he has made the most of those nine lives with two wins, two additional top 10s and a total of six top 25s. No finish was sweeter than Sunday's though because it finally got Thompson over a very big hump. He knew his mission was accomplished as he warmed up on the range in anticipation of the playoff. But he took a deep breath, cleared his thoughts and took care of business. "I was getting emotional, and I had to catch myself,'' he said. "You have to understand becoming a PGA TOUR player was my goal since I was 8 or 9.'' In 2003, Thompson three-putted the 72nd hole of the Nationwide Tour Championship to tumble out of the Top 20. |
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