Less turned out to be more for Thompson

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Thompson returned from an elbow injury late in the year to finish strong with two finishes in the top 11 during the Fall Series.

Most players who miss the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup bemoan their bad luck. But taking that time off may have helped Nicholas Thompson retain his playing privileges for 2010.

"Nobody wants to miss the FedExCup Playoffs, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me," Thompson said. "I was able to rehab in the five weeks I had off, so it helped me out in a good way."

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Over the course of the year, Thompson developed the golfer's equivalent of tennis elbow in both arms. One elbow developed soreness from Thompson pushing the club through the dirt to make a divot. The other elbow developed a problem when he compensated and started pulling the club through the dirt to make a divot.

"I learned that I was originally a pusher then I became a puller," Thompson said.

His elbows began to ache constantly when he played -- not a good thing for a guy who plays 35-40 weeks each year. He had an idea of what was going on and the therapists who work in the PGA TOUR fitness trailer confirmed the problem and identified the solution. The only thing that was going to help was rest, which is the last thing a man who is trying to keep his playing privileges wants to hear.

The five-week interregnum was exactly what he needed. He barely touched a club during those first two weeks, and then spent the next three weeks playing, chipping and putting. But pounding balls on the range was out.

"I practice chipping and putting regardless, but for those three weeks I practiced it more than usual," he said.

When he returned for the Fall Series, Thompson discovered his short game was better than ever and it showed at the pay window. He tied for eighth at the Frys.com Open (his first top-10 of the season) and tied for 11th at the Children's Miracle Network Classic, which ensured him of a finish inside the top 125 on the money list. He wound up No. 123, with $675,178 in earnings.

"It's nice not to have to go back to q-school," said Thompson, who sailed through the grueling q-school process in 2005.

The injury also allowed Thompson to re-evaluate his practice regimen. He had been a self-described range rat from high school through his college days at Georgia Tech. "I'm not the most genetically gifted guy," he said. "What I've been able to do has come from hard work."

His accomplishments are many. He was an All-American at Georgia Tech, a member of the 2005 Walker Cup team and a winner on the Nationwide Tour. He knew he wouldn't be there without those long hours of hard work.

But his range rat days are over. He can still whack a driver off a tee as long as he wants without hurting himself. And he can chip and putt until they run him off the green. But don't expect him to outlast Vijah Singh on the practice range.

"I'll still practice some, but you'll never see me on the range with 500 balls," Thompson said. "Other than wedges, about 100 will be it for me. I'm not going to be out there and beat an 8-iron to a 135-yard green for two hours."

With his exemption secure for the next year, Thompson can enjoy his holidays and get his schedule set for 2010. It will also give him a chance to watch his alma mater's football team -- but from a distance only.

Seems like the only Georgia Tech game Thompson attended this year was when the Yellow Jackets visited Miami. That was also the only game Tech lost this year. And Thompson isn't willing to jinx the team by watching in person.

So he's sitting out this week's game against arch-rival Georgia. He's not going to attend the ACC Championship Game against Clemson either. And even if Tech wins the conference title and plays in the Orange Bowl, an easy drive from Thompson's home in Coral Springs, Fla., he's not going to buy a ticket.

"I would love to go, but I want them to win," he said. "So I'll watch them on television and pull for them to win."

And now he has the luxury of watching all the football he wants in the offseason without feeling guilty or short-changing his practice.

Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.