MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2021

Michael Thompson

Quick Quotes

Q. Michael, just assess your round a little bit and also how the golf course played, as well.

MICHAEL THOMPSON: Golf course is playing tough. The greens are very, very firm. They're getting pretty baked. I imagine that's probably in preparation for some rain this weekend, but especially with this wind kicking up, it's going to be difficult to get to some of these pins.

As far as the way I played, I felt like I drove the ball really well, gave myself iron shots out of the fairway, but my irons weren't quite what I wanted them to be, so I kind of managed my game really well. I think I only hit four greens in regulation on the front and shot 1-over, so I'll take that every time.

So I've got some work to do with that, but to finish even par the first round, Tiger used to always say just hang around par after the first round and hopefully build on that as the weekend goes on, and you never know what can happen.

Q. Give us the details on 13.

MICHAEL THOMPSON: I hit a good drive. They actually had the tees pushed over a little bit, so you had to deal with the limb right off the tee. Hit a good kind of low two-yard draw, and I actually hit it far enough that it got up on top of that little mound, which gave me more of a flat lie, which was very, very nice, and hit 4-iron right in the middle of the green and was walking up there and I was like, all right, I've got my first eagle chance, let's get some crystal here. I hit a perfect putt. I read it probably two to three feet out on the left and went right in the middle.

I gave a big fist bump and told Hud that I can go home happy now.

Q. How far was the putt?

MICHAEL THOMPSON: 25 feet maybe.

Q. This wind that's sprung up in the last couple of hours, is that the better wind to play this course?

MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yeah, I would say so, just because 13 plays more downwind, 15 plays downwind, 18 plays downwind, so those holes will play shorter, so they're more gettable.

I think 12 is going to play tough and 11 is going to play tough, although 11 the pin is on the right, so it's probably the easiest pin on that green. But 12 is going to be tricky. Any time it blows here, the wind swirls, so you kind of feel like you're guessing all day.

So I mean, with how firm these greens are, it's just going to make it play tough.

Q. Even though the front nine was pretty calm, even par is still a pretty good score.

MICHAEL THOMPSON: I think so. It's my first time being here in eight years and obviously didn't want to shoot myself in the foot on the first round. I hung in there nicely. Was a bit frustrating not hitting greens, but to be right around level par, and then to finish the day playing well on the back nine, I found a little bit of a groove on 13 after that 4-iron, hit it to the middle of the green, started hitting my irons better. So hopefully I can build on that and just go play golf.

At the end of the day I've got to remind myself this is just a golf course. This is just a golf tournament. I'm just trying to play the course as good as I possibly can, and we'll see where the chips fall at the end.

Q. You alluded to it, but how big a deal is that crystal?

MICHAEL THOMPSON: I mean, those are the heirlooms that you pass on to your kids. Same with the money clips and all that cool memorabilia that only players can have. Jack has talked about he has 64 or 68 pieces of crystal or something like that, some ridiculous number. I've got two little cups at home from an eagle I made back in 2013 that I proudly display in my display case.

I was very, very excited to make that putt on 13; let's just say that.

Q. Were you able to take in any of the scene on the first tee this morning, the ceremony?

MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yeah, I didn't actually get to see the guys hit their shots, but I was walking over to the putting green as the ceremony was going on and seeing the crowd, not as big as it usually is, but it's still nice to see patrons out here enjoying what the Masters is all about.

Definitely got some goosebumps walking out there, and especially being the first guy to hit a shot to start the tournament. Probably more nervous than I was when I won the 3M, to be honest. It's just a cool experience.

Q. It makes for a pretty early wake-up call I imagine.

MICHAEL THOMPSON: It does, yeah. The 4:30 alarm went off and I was not happy to see that. But again, to get around this golf course on a day when the greens are playing firm at even par, I think I'm in a good spot to hopefully build on a weekend.

Q. Do you have any idea what the players in the afternoon might face out here as the wind kicks up a little bit?

MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yeah, it's going to swirl. It's kind of nice when it gets up a little heavier like it is now because the wind is more consistent. But once you get down near Amen Corner with those trees, the ball doesn't get above the trees, so the wind is just going to swirl.

I remember when I played here as an amateur, played with Phil Mickelson, I asked him, what do you do on 12 when it's windy, and he said, "guess." Not a whole lot of confidence building there. It just makes you think a lot just because there's so many different shots you can hit into these greens and so many different slopes you can use. I think that's what makes this tournament exciting.

Q. How long did it take you to realize that he was not being coy?

MICHAEL THOMPSON: I think I asked Bones on the next fairway, was he being serious? He's like, yeah, you just take your best guess. It is what it is.

Q. Even after '07 you took your spot in the '08 Masters. You never gave --

MICHAEL THOMPSON: No, no. I can remember the feeling after I won the semifinal match at Olympic Club in the U.S. Am, just -- I mean, pure joy, due to the fact that I would be able to get to play the Masters as an amateur. Quite honestly my dreams with regards to golf in my career never went that far. I just wanted to play on the PGA TOUR and get my PGA TOUR card. To get the opportunity to come here as an amateur is super special. I mean, I got to stay in the Crow's Nest all week. I missed the cut and I still stayed on the weekend and came out and putted on the green prior to the guys teeing off on Saturday. It's really, really special. I don't know what colt feels thinking back on turning pro early, but I know for me, it was a no-brainer for me to stay amateur and get a chance to play here.