Nicholas

Thompson

The 39-year-old Thompson, brother of the LPGA star Lexi Thompson and Tour player Curtis Thompson, carded a 4-under 66 on Monday at Cattail Creek Country Club in Glenwood, Maryland, making six birdies and two bogeys. He’s joined in the field by medalist Drew Nesbitt, former Oregon standout Norman Xiong and David Lingmerth, who triumphed in a four-for-one playoff for the final spot. While it’s been a minute since Thompson has played a PGA Tour event, he made 34 Korn Ferry Tour starts last year in the wraparound season. He made just nine cuts but posted two top 10s, including a T-6 last July at the Price Cutter Charity Championship. He’s also spent time caddying for his sister, including at the Solheim Cup.

Thompson erased a couple of early birdies with a bogey at the par-4 fifth hole. After a string of nine pars, he would convert a 6'6" birdie at the par-4 15th and hole a 13-yard bunker shot for eagle at the par-5 16th. He had a putt from 7'9" on the 18th to take it one deeper and swipe control of the clubhouse lead away from Patrick Reed, but failed to convert. The ball-striking was on point, with 14 GIR giving way to a 1.643 putting average. He did give back almost a full stroke to the field with the putter.

Thompson’s 2009 trip followed a missed cut in 2008. After a solid start to 2013 that included three to 25s and a top 10, he’s failed to cash in his last five starts dating back to New Orleans. Given the depth of the field this week, he’ll have to play some of his best golf of the year to break that streak.

Thompson buried five birdies for the second straight day but never got lower than his final red number. In fact, he was 2-over before pouring in three birdies on his last four holes. His highlights of the round occurred at the par-4 10th, where he began with a birdie conversion from 21'4", and at the par-3 eighth, where his attempt for birdie from 18'4" dropped in. He’s 4-under 136 at the midpoint, six strokes off the 36-hole clubhouse lead.

Nitro went out in the first threesome off the first tee this morning. He hit 14 greens in regulation and circled five birdies, including conversions of 23'11" and 14'4" at the first and fourth holes, respectively. His only hiccup of the round was a biggie. After landing his third 12 yards from the hole at the par-5 third, he’d eventually three-putt for double bogey from inside 18 feet.

Thompson circled five birdies, including a 4'2" effort on the difficult par-3 16th with a tucked back left pin. He landed 15 GIR on the afternoon and has now hit 44 (of 54) for the tournament at TPC River Highlands. Not only is he playing for a big payday, he could earn enough points in the finale to lock up his 2013-14 PGA TOUR card.

The Web.com Tour grad played each of his rounds in the 60s, circling nine birdies to just one bogey in his final stanza. In fact, it was his 7'3" birdie at the par-5 18th that erased his only blemish of the day coming at the par-3 17th. He now makes the short trip to the Farmers Insurance Open with the hopes of finding back-to-back top 10s.

Thompson already owns two top 25s, with a tie for sixth at the Humana Challenge his season-best finish. A native Floridian, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Florida Swing treat him well. In three previous trips to PGA National, a T38 in 2008 stands as his best showing.

Thompson made a splash at the Arnold Palmer Invitational when his shot from the water at the par-3 17th came to rest a mere inches from the cup, prompting announcers to compare it to Bill Haas’ famous save in the playoff at the TOUR Championship in 2011. This will be his fourth trip to Redstone, making the cut three times including a T11 in 2009.

Nitro hit just 12 greens in regulation but that’s faring pretty well at PGA National. He converted six birdies, including a hole-out from a greenside bunker at the par-4 sixth hole and conventional rolls from 28'9" and 16'9" and Nos. 11 and 18, respectively. This is his first appearance in the event since 2010; today’s score is his lowest in 12 competitive rounds on the host course. He’s 5-under 135 at the midpoint, four strokes adrift of the 36-hole clubhouse lead.