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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 24, 2007

Michael Thompson

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

CRAIG SMITH: Michael, I looked at your round here today you lost only the fifth hole, you won four of five holes to stand 4-up after the 10th hole. And then of course somewhere in this interview here we have to talk about the 7th, which is a par-4, 280 yards, that you drove to a foot and had a concession for eagle. So you tell me how well you played this morning?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I played awesome this morning. Pretty much just about as good as I played against Webb Simpson earlier in the week. And I know that I had to do that coming out and playing Derek Fathauer. Because he's been playing awesome this week.
So I've had a lot of good thoughts going into today, I wanted to be aggressive and not feel like I couldn't do it.
That shot on 7 really describes how I was playing. Everything was going well for me. I was putting well, hitting great iron shots. And it was just great.
CRAIG SMITH: I'm just thinking that you lost that one hole and then all of a sudden here comes 6, here comes 7, that was a quick and early turning point for you.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yes, it was. I really played number 5 terrible. I think I rushed myself a little bit. I made a few bad swings. Almost came out with a halve there, but can't remember 6. I know I won it though.
CRAIG SMITH: You made a 7 foot putt for par.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: That's right. And that was just because my putting, I was able to make a lot of clutch putts today. Really scrambling well.
And then on 7 was a nice gift. Because you don't expect to hit it that close. Even if on the green there, it's very difficult to get it on.
So it just worked out and gave me a little bit of momentum going into the back nine.

Q. You kind of fall under a lot of people's radar. Obviously it was probably because you went to Tulane, which isn't a big-time program. And kind of getting your feet wet at Alabama. But when you look at your record, it's very impressive.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Thank you.

Q. Well, it is. And do you kind of sometimes feel like you should get more recognition than you do and how much do you think that now being a semi-finalist is going to help?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Sometimes I feel like I would like a little bit more recognition. But at the same time it kind of gives me that little bit of edge to go out and prove to everybody that I'm one of the best players out here. And I try not to worry about it a whole lot. I've always been under the radar my whole life in golf. It's nice to be able to come out here and feel confident and really show everyone, especially the USGA officials for Walker Cup, if it gets to them, but that I can play with these guys.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully I can keep it going.
CRAIG SMITH: Three Amateurs. Obviously you've gotten quite far here. But I'm sensing the first time you might have been a little in awe and then now you're very confident.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yes. And I loved Winged Foot when I qualified there. I loved that golf course. It's one of my favorites. And this one now obviously I really like. But, yeah, I was young then, and really inexperienced. And it just helped a lot this week to go out and know what it's like to play in front of a lot of people and play well and trust in myself. And that's what I've really learned since then.

Q. How many times have you tried to go for 7?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Every day. Every time.

Q. And where else have you hit it?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I hit it in the during the stroke play I hit it in the front left bunker. Made birdie. And then first round of match play I hit it left of that bunker and then hit it over and made bogey. I think.
And then hit it in the left bunker again yesterday and made par.
Can't remember where I hit it the other time. Somewhere on the left there. It's always been on the left.

Q. And you've used the same club each time?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yeah. Driver.

Q. Did the change in tees do anything?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Yesterday when they moved the tees up I had to take a little bit off my driver. Oh, another time I hit the green, I landed on the green one time yesterday.

Q. Morning or afternoon?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I believe it was morning.

Q. Actually it landed in that first up slope and rolled almost all the way to the back tier but then rolled all the way back to the front. That was a bad break. But, yeah, it's -- I think that's the play there. It's just driver.
CRAIG SMITH: Your career has had golf career anyway for college has kind of had some starts and stops. How -- take us there you just some of the background of going to -- how do you get, one, Arizona to Tulane and then all of a sudden the disappointment of going through the no more golf there and then Alabama.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: It's been a great journey for me, I have to say. The hurricane really was a blessing in disguise for me, because now I get to play for Alabama, one of the best teams in the country. And I know coming out of high school my swing coach, Suzy, who is here and actually flew here last night to watch me play today, but she told me that I needed to go someplace else. Other than Tucson or Phoenix or California. I needed to go someplace east, someplace maybe even a little north maybe. To learn to play a different style of golf and the different scenery and the different types of greens, different designs.
I needed to -- she felt like I needed that experience that would prepare me for professional golf. Because you play all over the country.
That's why Tiger so good is that he traveled so many places when he was young. He played a lot of different courses. And so that's one of the main reasons why I came east. And ended up at Tulane because of the golf coach there, Tom Shaw, who is now at Vanderbilt. And I really, really liked him as a coach. I thought he did a great job. He was very nice. Not degrading or anything like that. And just provided a really happy, fun atmosphere at Tulane. And also he offered me the most scholarship so that helped too.
But once the hurricane hit, I played out that fall and at SMU, we played the Tulane schedule, though we played for Tulane. And then come December I guess they disbanded the golf program along with other programs.
And I knew then that I had to find a different school, because golf was what I wanted to pursue and it's been my dream ever since I was really little. So, and I was fortunate to find some schools that were interested in me that have very good programs. And Tom helped me out a lot with that.
And just went through that whole process of going through visits and meeting coaches and teams and trying to choose which place would be best for me.
CRAIG SMITH: Two things just to get on the record. Your coach Suzy.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Meyers. M E Y E R S.
CRAIG SMITH: Okay. And then of course your coach, Tom, goes to Vanderbilt.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Right.
CRAIG SMITH: How did you part ways?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Well, I would have liked to have continued playing for him. But he didn't have any scholarship to offer at Vanderbilt. And it's a very expensive school. So it didn't work out that way.
But I still keep in contact with him. When I drove up to the Western I stayed with him in Nashville one night, because of the long drive. And so that was nice. And I have been getting text messages from him every day.
So we still have a very good relationship and I talk to him all the time. But I'm really, I'm loving Alabama. It's a wonderful place to be. Jay Seawell is a great coach and the guys on the team, we get along real well. And it just, like I said is a blessing in disguise that I found them.
CRAIG SMITH: How about other sports in your background.
MICHAEL THOMPSON: I played soccer all through high school. I played soccer for 14 years. And almost won a state championship my senior year, but, you know, I guess I can't add that to my resume. But I played baseball up until high school. And that's when I started to really focus on golf. It really became my love.
CRAIG SMITH: And any -- how often in the last 24 hours have you let your mind wander ahead of this match?
MICHAEL THOMPSON: Not a whole lot. Every once in awhile I'll think about it, but then I'll say, get that out. Just stop thinking about that. Just enjoy your time now.
We'll go out to dinner, like we went out to dinner last night I said, let's not think about tomorrow, let's not think about the finals, let's not think about anything. Let's just enjoy our dinner and get back to the house that I'm staying at and go to bed.
So I'm trying to stay as much in the present as I can. This is all a learning experience for me, so I'm enjoying every minute of it and I hope I can go all the way.

End of FastScripts

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