“Olympics should be for amateurs” says tour pro

“It’s a tough one, but I wish Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood all the best – they have a good chance for a medal.”

Despite his call for professionals to relinquish their participation in the event, 25-year-old Thomson says he would answer the call, should it ever come.

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“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.”

Thomson made history when he made a hole-in-one at the par-3 16th at the Open Championship. It helped the 6ft 9.5” tall Challenge Tour pro to a T53 finish – something which is crucial for him.

“The prize money I gained from the Open makes a huge difference – money makes the world go round,” added Thomson. “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.

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“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.”