Dec. 6, 2005
ATLANTA – Four-time Georgia Tech All-American Nicholas Thompson closed with a two-under-par 70 Monday, finishing in a tie for third at the PGA Tour Qualifying School in Winter Garden, Fla.
Thompson became one of 32 golfers to earn their tour cards for 2006 following the grueling six-round qualifying tournament. His 108-hole score was 413 (74-67-69-64-69-70), which put him 19 shots under par, five shots back of medalist John B. Holmes.
The Coral Springs, Fla., native helped Tech to a pair of NCAA runner-up finishes in his career at Tech, including last spring. After graduating from Tech with his degree in Management in May, he went on to become a member of the United States Walker Cup team in August before turning pro.
Read Thompson’s interview with PGA Tour.com.
He’ll be a tour rookie along with former Tech All-American Troy Matteson, who earned his way onto the tour for next year by finishing first and setting a Nationwide Tour earnings record in 2005 with $495,009. Matteson, the 2002 NCAA champion at Tech, won two Nationwide Tour events in 2005, finished second in three others and had 12 top-10 finishes overall.
Thompson and Matteson will join another pair of Tech All-Americans in Stewart Cink, who finished 42nd on the 2005 tour money list ($1,733,049), and David Duval, who remains exempt as a result of his 2001 British Open title.
Former Tech player Briny Baird, who finished 126th on the PGA Tour money list this year, missed keeping his card by one shot (tied for 33rd), but will have full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour in 2006 and conditional status on the PGA Tour. Tripp Isenhour tied for 59th and Larry Mize tied for 88th in the Q-school finals.
Here are the final money standings and 2006 status for Tech alums on the PGA and Nationwide Tours in 2005:
PGA TourStewart Cink (43rd) $1,733,049 exempt on PGA Tour for 2006Briny Baird (126th) $617,621 Nationwide Tour in 2006Matt Kuchar (159th) $402,786 Nationwide Tour in 2006Larry Mize (193rd) $206,969 partial PGA Tour statusTripp Isenhour (252nd) $14,448 Nationwide Tour in 2006David Duval (260th) $7,630 exempt on PGA Tour in 2006
Nationwide Tour Troy Matteson (1st) $495,009 exempt on PGA Tour for 2006 Matt Weibring (42nd) $123,825 Nationwide in 2006 Bryce Molder (99th) $44,365 Nationwide in 2006 Michael Clark II (141st) $24,205 partial PGA Tour status, Nationwide Tour in 2006 Tripp Isenhour (127th) $28,904 Nationwide Tour in 2006
