Leonard Thompson (golfer)
Encyclopedia
Leonard Stephen Thompson (born January 1, 1947) is an American
professional golfer
who has played on the PGA Tour
, Nationwide Tour
and Champions Tour
.
Thompson was born in Laurinburg, North Carolina
. He attended Wake Forest University
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
and was a member of the golf
team. He was a teammate of future fellow PGA Tour players Joe Inman
and Lanny Wadkins
. He graduated in 1969 and turned pro in 1971.
Thompson had more than 70 top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events during his career, winning 3 times. His first win came in 1974 at Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic. His best finish in a major championship
was T7 at The Masters in 1979.
During his late forties, Thompson, like so many of his colleagues, played some on the Nationwide Tour
to prepare for the Champions Tour
. His best finish in that venue was a 6th at the 1996 NIKE Tallahassee Open.
After turning 50 at the beginning of 1997, Thompson began play on the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour). He has three wins on this Tour. He played in his milestone 1000th PGA Tour and Champions Tour event combined at the 2009 SAS Championship
.
Thompson was inducted into the Wake Forest University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. He lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who has played on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
and Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
.
Thompson was born in Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg is a mid-sized city in Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Scotland County. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina state border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews Presbyterian College...
. He attended Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
and was a member of the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
team. He was a teammate of future fellow PGA Tour players Joe Inman
Joe Inman
Joseph Cooper Inman, Jr. is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.Inman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and is the eldest of six children...
and Lanny Wadkins
Lanny Wadkins
Jerry Lanston "Lanny" Wadkins, Jr. is an American professional golfer. He ranked in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 86 weeks from their debut in 1986 to 1988....
. He graduated in 1969 and turned pro in 1971.
Thompson had more than 70 top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events during his career, winning 3 times. His first win came in 1974 at Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic. His best finish in a major championship
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
was T7 at The Masters in 1979.
During his late forties, Thompson, like so many of his colleagues, played some on the Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
to prepare for the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
. His best finish in that venue was a 6th at the 1996 NIKE Tallahassee Open.
After turning 50 at the beginning of 1997, Thompson began play on the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour). He has three wins on this Tour. He played in his milestone 1000th PGA Tour and Champions Tour event combined at the 2009 SAS Championship
SAS Championship
The SAS Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in September in Cary, North Carolina at the Prestonwood Country Club. SAS Institute is the main sponsor of the tournament....
.
Thompson was inducted into the Wake Forest University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. He lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated seaside community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located eighteen miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jacksonville Beaches area. It is an upmarket tourist resort area best known for its...
.
PGA Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 24, 1974 1974 PGA Tour The 1974 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 3. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Johnny Miller won the most tournaments, eight, including the first three events. There were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed... |
Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic | 1 stroke |  Hale IrwinHale Irwin Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was... |
|
| 2 | Oct 30, 1977 1977 PGA Tour The 1977 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to November 6. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Tom Watson won the most tournaments, five, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Pensacola Open Pensacola Open This article is about the former PGA Tour event, for information on the former Nationwide Tour event, see Pensacola Classic.The Pensacola Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour... |
2 strokes | Curtis Strange Curtis Strange Curtis Northrup Strange is an American professional golfer. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He spent over 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between their debut in 1986 and 1990.-Early years through college:Strange and his... |
|
| 3 | Jul 30, 1989 1989 PGA Tour The 1989 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 29. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Steve Jones and Tom Kite won the most tournaments, three, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
Buick Open Buick Open The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship... |
1 stroke | Billy Andrade Billy Andrade William Thomas Andrade is an American professional golfer.Andrade was born in Bristol, Rhode Island. He attended Wake Forest University where he helped lead the Demon Deacons to the 1986 NCAA Championship. He played on the U.S. team in the 1987 Walker Cup, and turned professional in the same year... , Payne StewartPayne Stewart William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42.... , Doug Tewell |
Other wins (2)
this list may be incomplete- 1975 Carolinas OpenCarolinas OpenThe Carolinas Open is a golf tournament played in the Carolinas, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is run by the Carolinas section of the PGA of America...
- 1985 Carolinas PGA ChampionshipCarolinas PGA ChampionshipThe Carolinas PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the Carolinas section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1923 at a variety of courses around both states.-Winners:*2011 Gus Ulrich*2010 Todd Camplin...
Champions Tour wins (3)
- 19981998 Senior PGA TourThe 1998 Senior PGA Tour was the 19th season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 38 official money events with purses totalling $45,850,650, including four majors. Hale Irwin won the most tournaments, seven...
Coldwell Banker Burnet Classic - 20002000 Senior PGA TourThe 2000 Senior PGA Tour was the 21st season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 39 official money events with purses totalling $54,850,000, including four majors. Larry Nelson won the most tournaments, six...
State Farm Senior Classic - 20012001 Senior PGA TourThe 2001 Senior PGA Tour was the 22nd season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 37 official money events with purses totalling $58,150,000 , including four majors...
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Match Play Championship