SILVIS, Ill. — Davis Thompson claimed his first PGA Tour victory on Sunday with a remarkable 7-under 64, setting a new 72-hole scoring record at the John Deere Classic and leaving the competition battling for second place.
Starting with a two-shot lead, Thompson made a spectacular 45-foot birdie putt on the first hole and maintained his lead throughout the round. Starting with five birdies in six holes, he extended his lead to six shots and ultimately won by a four-stroke margin.
The 25-year-old from Georgia finished at 28-under 256 to break the John Deere Classic record set by Michael Kim in 2018 by one stroke.
This victory secures Thompson a spot in the next three majors, beginning with the British Open in two weeks at Royal Troon. He will also make his Masters debut next April.
Thompson becomes the 24th player to secure his first PGA Tour win at the John Deere Classic, the most of any tournament since 1970.
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The battle for second place and the other spot at the British Open turned out to be intense. C.T. Pan of Taiwan secured the spot by birdieing the 16th and 17th holes and finishing with a two-putt par from 20 feet for a 64.
However, two young players made him work for it.
Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton sunk a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 63, being the first to reach 24 under. Michael Thorbjornsen, the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University rankings after Stanford, made a birdie putt from 18 feet for a 63 to tie Clanton.
With a three-way tie for second, the British Open spot went to Pan based on world rankings.
Clanton, on the other hand, became the first amateur since Billy Joe Patton in 1958 to finish in the top 10 in consecutive PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments, tying for 10th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week.
Clanton’s performance over the past two weeks would have earned him just over $804,000 if he had been a professional.
Carson Young also had a chance at securing second place and the British Open spot. However, a misstep on the 18th hole cost him the opportunity as he missed a par putt after hitting a chip from the rough over the green. He shot 63.
Thompson’s victory was never in question. Alongside his impressive birdie putt on the first hole, he continued his remarkable performance with a 30-foot birdie on No. 5 and a total of seven birdies through 10 holes.
His first bogey came on the par-4 12th, and Thorbjornsen seemed to have a chance to make a comeback. However, a three-putt bogey on the reachable par-4 14th dashed his hopes.
Thompson, in his second year on the PGA Tour, expressed his desire to maintain the momentum from his runner-up finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week.
The choice of lodging may have also played a role in Thompson’s success. Several Georgia players have been renting a house near the John Deere Classic, where past winners like J.T. Poston and Sepp Straka stayed. Straka, who stayed in the house last year and won, gave up his room to Thompson this year.
“I think I have to pay for the whole house, which is unfortunate,” Thompson said with a smile. “But I’ll gladly pay it.”
Thompson’s victory earned him $1,440,000 and moved him to No. 22 in the FedEx Cup standings, ensuring his presence in all the key events next year.
Jordan Spieth, playing at the Deere for the first time since his 2015 victory, struggled to make an impact and closed with a 70, tying for 26th place. This leaves him in 59th place in the FedEx Cup standings with four weeks remaining in the regular season.
