Thompson tests his game alongside one of the best

AUGUSTA, Ga. | University of Alabama golfer Michael Thompson spent a memorable second day at Augusta National Golf Club preparing for his debut at the Masters.

The senior from Tucson, Ariz., spent Tuesday afternoon teeing it up with fellow Arizonian and No. 2 ranked player in the world Phil Mickelson.

Playing in front of a gallery of about 4,000 to 5,000, Thompson said it was a good experience to get to test his game with one of the world's best.

'I wasn't nervous at all,' Thompson said. 'It was just good to see where his game is right now and for me to kind of see where my game can potentially go. He played very, very well today and hit some shots that were very impressive. And it just made me look forward to getting out and playing professional golf and practicing more. He was a great guy and we had a lot of fun.'

Trip Kuehne and Hunter Mahan rounded out Thompson's foursome.

Thompson will play in the Par 3 Tournament today, which airs on ESPN at 2 p.m. He is paired with two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw with his father, Mike Thompson, caddying for him.

'The Par 3 contest is supposed to be a blast,' Thompson said. 'Everybody's supposed to be really relaxed, and, you know, people cheering, going crazy. I'm just looking forward to having fun.'

Former UA golfer and U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open winner Jerry Pate was originally scheduled to join Thompson and Crenshaw but withdrew due to an injured shoulder.

Thompson is paired with Crenshaw and Australian Nick O'Hern for the first two days of tournament play that begins on Thursday. The group will tee off at 8:17 a.m.

He said although Augusta's greens are infamously fast and undulated, he is ready for the challenge.

'I feel like I'm a good putter,' he said. 'So I have confidence on the greens. Although I have to be very cautious, I can still have some confidence and just kind of play it and see where I end up.

The Tuscaloosa News will follow Thompson's journey at the Masters with daily updates.