Jonathan Thomson first picked up a golf club at the age of five at Rotherham Golf Club near Sheffield where he practised alongside a promising group of youngsters that included future Masters Tournament winner Danny Willett.
He was diagnosed with Leukemia aged seven which he calls his ‘biggest battle’, but worked on his golf game as a teenager and later turned pro.
Standing at six foot nine and a half inches tall, he became the tallest player to play in a Major Championship when he played at The Open earlier in July in Kent – shooting a magnificent hole in one and going viral in the process. He made the cut and finished tied for 53rd, playing alongside the likes of Lee Westwood and Harris English in the process.
Thomson, a big coffee fan who loves a double espresso before he goes out to play 18 holes, spoke to Coffee Friend for the latest Coffee Break blog about his whirlwind last few weeks, the roar of the crowd when he got his hole in one and living in a luxury RV next door to fellow golfers Ian Poulter and Tommy Fleetwood…
Jon Thomson… on his love of coffee
“I love my coffee – it’s almost a bit of an addiction! I found it in the past six or seven years when I started travelling more and I realised I needed to stay awake. My favourite is a double espresso, I love the caffeine boost. And I spend a lot of my time in Europe, where strong coffee is life, so I have had to adapt – although I do miss my coffee machine back at home in Sheffield when I am away! I play golf for long, punishing days and there are a lot of early starts, so it really helps wake me up and gets my day started right. I also like the bitter taste and the smell, which is hugely welcoming in the morning.”
Jon Thomson… on his preparation for The Open and living in an RV next to Ian Poulter
“The week before The Open, I played a tournament in France – so I drove straight from there to Sandwich in time for the major. We looked at hotels in advance, but there weren’t that many of them, the prices were through the roof and a lot of them were all booked up – we pay for all our own accommodation while on tour. When I first qualified, I knew some of the other golfers – Ian Poulter, Tommy Fleetwood and Henrik Stenson – were staying in RV’s usually used for Formula 1, so I joined them! It was the most luxurious experience of my life, it was like a five star hotel on wheels. We were actually staying on the playing fields at Sandwich Technology School which is round the corner from the course. But they did it really well with loads of security and we had a fleet of courtesy cars to get us to the course each day, as we were sadly not allowed in the town due to being in our own little Covid bubble. It was logistically perfect.
“I’d never played the course before, nor had I been to Sandwich either, It’s a beautiful part of the world and while I grew up learning my trade on links courses, the course was set up for Open Championship standard which was the hardest layout I’ve ever played in, no two ways about it. It’s a course stooped in history but just a really lovely place with stunning weather and a fantastic atmosphere.
“The Sandwich locals were really friendly – it goes without saying that British crowds are the best in the world, bar none. They are very respectful and knowledgeable, they understand good and bad shots, they don’t scream ‘mashed potato’ down every fairway, you cannot ask for any more in a crowd. It was by far the biggest crowd I had ever played in front of, being my first Major – and it made it sweeter with so many people being there after lockdown eased. Playing with no crowds for the last year or two has been very bland, so it was magnificent to have them back – it was a perfect environment to play golf in at Royal St George’s. These experiences make you as a person, my career has been one big rollercoaster up until now, so moments such as this fire you up.”
Jon Thomson… on calming nerves and his incredible hole in one
“Qualifying for a Major was something I’d dreamed about since I was a kid – so when I stepped up to the first tee, I must admit I was bricking it, the reality kicked in there and then. But I had my coach, my fiancee and my caddy in a bubble of four and they really helped calm the nerves – we tried to just treat it as just another tournament and managed expectations, but we did feel the emotion before and after. So making the cut in the fashion I made it in was mind blowing for me really. On the 16th, it was a blind shot so I had to rely on the reaction of the crowd – that roar of the crowd when I sunk the hole in one will stay with me forever, it came to me in three stages of noise. It was louder than a football match. I felt I had charmed the people of Kent with my hole in one – hopefully I’ve got a fair amount of new fans now! It was the most intense week of my life, the detail and levels of preparation were incredible and gave me a taste of wanting this to be the norm for me. Even playing and holding my own with Lee Westwood and Harris English lifted my confidence and it was special to get their words of advice. I am striving to be better by playing with the best. It made me know that the things I am doing are right and the breaks are going to come for me.
“The prize money I gained from The Open makes a huge difference – money makes the world go round. It helps for the next few months to keep funding myself, although I try not to think too much about the money side of things. It’s a slippery slope when you begin to think too much about finances, but golf is an extremely expensive sport to be a part of. But if you perform the best you can, the money will look after itself.”
Jon Thomson… on golf at the Olympics and his Ryder Cup prediction
“Golf definitely does deserve a place at the Olympics and if I ever got a chance, I would be going because it’s an extremely cool thing to put on your career bucket list. But while it sounds controversial, I am not sure it should be professionals that go, I think it should be the top amateurs who compete for their nation. Being in the Olympics would be a pinnacle of an amateur’s career – whereas I think as a leading golf pro, you want to be winning a Major championship rather than a gold medal. It’s a tough one, but I wish Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood all the best – they have a good chance for a medal.
“I’m really excited about the Ryder Cup this year, there are two terrific teams – while it’s in the US, Europe has a fantastic chance. I think Poulter will get a wildcard, he’s a guy who is starting to hit form and someone you can’t not have in your team if he’s playing well. Then I look at a young gun, someone like Robert MacIntyre has a great shot after a terrific season. For me, the Ryder Cup would be a pinnacle of my career – it looks phenomenal and so exciting and one day I believe I will be there. But for now, I am just looking to get into the top 20 on the Challenger Tour so that I can get my European Tour card back – and then hit the road and try and work my way up the rankings and make cuts. The future is bright.”
