RALEIGH, North Carolina – Members of the first two PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global classes made moves up the leaderboard in Friday’s second round of the REX Hospital Open. Following a 5-under 66, Davis Thompson, who finished No. 2 in the inaugural PGA TOUR University Class of 2021, took the outright 36-hole lead at 12-under par. By the end of the second round, Thompson stood two strokes ahead of five players in T2 position and three strokes ahead of a group five players at T7 which included Jacob Bridgeman, the No. 2 player from the PGA TOUR University Class of 2022.

It marks the third time atop the leaderboard for Thompson, a Korn Ferry Tour rookie making his 14th career start. The 22-year-old previously shared the 18-hole lead at this year’s The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club, and shared the 54-hole lead at last week’s NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank.

Thompson finished T5 last week and stood T2 after Thursday’s first round of the REX Hospital Open, making this his fourth consecutive round inside the top five.

“I told myself last night that I feel like I'm playing well, just don't force it and let each round come to you, and to commit to every shot and every target that I pick,” Thompson said. "I hit a lot of good, solid shots to start the day, couldn't get any putts to fall but then I hit a nice shot on No. 16 and that kickstarted the round. I hit a lot of greens today which was good. Felt like I was playing offense all day and I was able to get a lot of good looks for birdie."

Thompson, a St. Simons Island, Georgia resident, started his round at the par-4 10th but would not make his first birdie until the par-3 16th. After a second consecutive birdie at the par-4 17th, Thompson tallied back-to-back birdies at the par-4 first and par-3 second. Thompson’s only bogey of the day came at the par-4 third, but he immediately negated it with a birdie at the par-5 fourth. A birdie at the par-5 ninth closed out Thompson’s sixth round of 66 or better this season, and third in his last four rounds.

“Early on I was missing cuts, then making cuts. I was just inconsistent,” said Thompson, who recorded made cuts in four of his first eight starts, but went without a top-10 until May. “I've gotten more comfortable each week, and each week is a different challenge. I feel good and I'm excited about tomorrow."

Thompson opened last month with a T6 at the Huntsville Championship, and logged a career-high finish of T5 at last week’s NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank.

A former No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Thompson played collegiately for four seasons at the University of Georgia, where he earned All-America First Team honors his final two seasons and was named the 2020-21 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. Those accolades propelled Thompson to a No. 2 finish in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2021.

The mission of PGA TOUR University is to elevate the path to the PGA TOUR for college golf’s top seniors. It also incentivizes players to stay in school longer and continue to work toward a degree. The top-five players from the Velocity Global Ranking earn Korn Ferry Tour status and an exemption into Final Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament, while Nos. 6-15 earn PGA TOUR Canada status and an exemption into Second Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.

Thompson was exempt for Final Stage of the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament last November. The top-40 and ties at Final Stage earned guaranteed starts for the first eight events of the 2022 season, and Thompson finished on the number (T39) for those starts.

"[Professional golf] is definitely different,” Thompson said. “With college, you have the team aspect and try to play well for your team, but I've been playing golf my whole life so it's nothing different. There is definitely a different sense of pressure when you're a professional because it's your job. I'm trying not to focus on that but just go out and do my best every day."

Two weeks ago, Bridgeman concluded a four-season collegiate career at Clemson University, where he won six times individually, including the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. The 2022 ACC Player of the Year finished No. 2 in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2022.

While Bridgeman will be eligible to play the final eight events of the regular season, beginning with next week’s BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX, he Monday qualified into this week’s event.

Third-round pairings will run from 6:40 a.m. through 12:40 p.m. local time off the first tee.