Carol Semple Thompson - Part 3 (7 USGA Championships and the British Ladies Amateur)

Music playing  00:00

Mike Gonzalez  00:15

Well, let's talk about the Women's U.S. Amateur. And you alluded to it earlier, but we'll go back to 1973. The US Women's Amateur at Montclair Golf Club in New Jersey, and we mentioned this lady before, who you beat, who was a three-time winner, I believe, and maybe a three-time runner up.

Semple Thompson, Carol  00:40

Well, she certainly was an idol of mine. I mean, I knew she was a terrific amateur player. And so I was the young upstart, although I wasn't that young. I was 24 at the time. But I mean, unlike the kids today, who were running, doing spectacular things that 18 and 19 and 20 but Anne Sander was, she was the one to beat. And in the finals, it was. It was well, it was a very good match. It was up and down, actually, for me, because part of my problem was that while my mother was sick that summer, so I was playing for her because she had been such a big part of my golf career up to that point. And my father was off giving a speech, something somewhere for the USGA. So he was supposed to come to Montclair and get there, the morning of the final Saturday morning. And we started off and we did, I think we played pretty good golf in the front, the first 18. And we came to the 18th hole and broke for lunch, and my father still wasn't there. So it was whatever noon or 12:30. And I started to get a little bit worried about him because he was supposed to be there earlier. And we started off on the second 18th. And I immediately lost the first couple of holes because I started to get distracted, kept thinking, Where's where's Dad? You know, so many times you hear these stories of people who either do perform or don't perform because of family problems. And my mother had been in the hospital all summer and my father wasn't there. And for I knew what I was three down. And, and then when we were on the sixth hole, I remember the chairman of the championship, brought my father over to see me to say hello, and he was letting me know that he was there because normally my father would hide behind every tree he could find. But I knew he was there. So then I get I immediately could relax. So I birdied two or the next three holes and ended up getting back to all square and and then on the back nine. Somehow, I think Anne made a couple of mistakes. And I did fine and I ended up winning on the 18th hole, the 36 hole. So it was a it was a big deal to have my father there to see it and and then

Devlin, Bruce  03:10

 Who gave you the trophy? 

Semple Thompson, Carol  03:11

Well, at the presentation that President Lynn Lardner of the USGA was there. And Mr. Lardner stepped aside and let my father who was vice president present the trophy to me. And as he said in his speech, you know, Phyllis and I tried for many years to get our hands on something like this trophy, and Carol's finally done it. So it was, it was pretty emotional.

Devlin, Bruce  03:34

That's pretty nice. Yeah. How nice.

Mike Gonzalez  03:38

And you mentioned Anne we talked about her record, and you mentioned her being sort of the person to beat. I believe she, like you, one four U.S. Senior Amateurs as well. Did she not?

Semple Thompson, Carol  03:52

I don't think so. There was Carolyn Cudone, won five senior amateurs. I don't think anyone else won four. But, I won mine at matchplay and the others had won them as Strokeplay.

Mike Gonzalez  04:09

So in the in the stroke play era, I show her winning and 87, 89, 90 and 93. 

Semple Thompson, Carol  04:18

Okay, good

Mike Gonzalez  04:19

In the stroke play era kind of starting in 87 and her last win at Preakness Hills Country Club in 1993. But, she also won the 1980 British Ladies Amateur and I think JoAnne Carner beat her in the 1968 final of the U.S. Women's Amateur. So that would have been right before JoAnne probably decided to play professionally. But point being, she was quite a player back then as well, wasn't she?

Semple Thompson, Carol  04:45

Oh, absolutely. Anne was quite a player. And I've only played Anne three times in my life. And the first being in the finals of the U.S. Women's Amateur. And then I played her in the Women's Mid Amateur Championship which was played my home club at Allegheny. And I beat her then. And then I played her in the British Amateur too. So, but I only played her three times in my life. So we played together some but it was a big deal for me to beat her three times, because she had had such an outstanding record.

Mike Gonzalez  05:25

So how did life change winning the Ladies Amateur in 1973?

Semple Thompson, Carol  05:32

Well, it was such a shock. I mean, I wasn't. I didn't believe I could do such a thing. But, I will tell you the hypnosis was like magic. Yeah. But I still didn't have great confidence in my game. I remember the winter following 1973. I was in Florida and Bill Campbell, was at a party with my parents and me and he said to me, you've got to go play in the British Women's Amateur. Now you've won the US. You have to go play in the British. And I said, Oh, come on. I'll never I'll never do anything again like that. They said, No, no, I'm not kidding. You have to do it. And I'm going to provide you with a bag of of practice balls of the small balls so you can practice with the small ball before you get there. So of course, then Bill said that to my parents, and my parents said, okay, yeah, you have to go play in the British. So, so they sent me over there all by myself to Porthcawl. And it was again, I had my hypnosis tape my blanket, if you will, my Linus blanket. And so that helped and I, I played Angela Bonallack in the final and beat her and, and then it was it was done. I mean, I sent a telegram home saying the deed is done I won by two and one or something like that. And because but then we weren't talking on the phone across the Atlantic. And telegram was appropriate. So. And then the Curtis Cup came. I mean, it was just it was like a fairy tale for me. 

Mike Gonzalez  07:15

Well, we lost Lady Angela Bonallack a few years back. Of course, she being married to Sir Michael, who we just lost a couple of weeks ago.

Semple Thompson, Carol  07:26

I know that what a loss. Both of them. They were wonderful people.

Mike Gonzalez  07:31

Yeah. And both fine amateur players in their own right. 

Semple Thompson, Carol  07:34

You're right. Definitely.

Mike Gonzalez  07:37

So you're holding both trophies at the time. When you come to the 1974 U.S. Amateur, and you played pretty well that year as well.

Semple Thompson, Carol  07:49

I did. I played very well until the finals and then I fell apart again Cindy Hill, but I was still pretty pleased to be runnerup.

Devlin, Bruce  07:59

Get to the final, Yeah,

Mike Gonzalez  08:00

I think she had maybe been a two-time runner up going into that and so she was probably ready to win. But she must have played quite well going into that final.

Semple Thompson, Carol  08:11

I think so. Yes. I don't remember the final particularly but I just remember not playing as well as I would have liked but that's the way it goes in match play a lot of times.

Mike Gonzalez  08:21

And back then the stroke play qualifying, was it one round?

Semple Thompson, Carol  08:26

I think it was, I know it was one round at Montclair, because in the qualifying at Montclair I remember having a nine on a hole. And I can remember the the hole it was the sixth hole I don't remember golf courses very well. But I remember the sixth hole and having a nine and I still shot 76 to qualify fairly easily for the match play. And I was just at Montclair, they had a 50 year celebration. I can't believe it's been 50 years. But the club wanted to celebrate the Women's Amateur. So they just had a celebration in June of this this summer. And it was really fun to go back and see the Golf Course of course all the trees, not all the trees, but a lot of the trees are gone and the fescue has been planted. And you know, the typical, it seems to me typical things that people are doing now taking trees down and they seem to love fescue, for which which I don't I have to say the Northwest is not built for fescue. There's not a sandy soil and it's becomes very thick and unplayable

Devlin, Bruce  09:35

Yes it does

Mike Gonzalez  09:35

Yeah, it's Links land sort of grass but you don't see it in the states very often do at least you didn't used to.

Semple Thompson, Carol  09:41

You didn't used to but now everybody thinks that looks great. It's unplayable.

Mike Gonzalez  09:48

Well, Bruce, coming out of the U.S. Amateur when the British Ladies Amateur when there are quite a few other amateur championships that Carol came out on top as well.

Devlin, Bruce  09:58

Yeah three-time Mexico International Amateur champion. North and South Women's Amateur. Twice, right? And then 1990 you won the US Women's Mid Amateur over Paige Marsh, three and one at Allegheny Country Club.

Semple Thompson, Carol  10:21

Oh, at Allegheny Country Club. Yeah, so that was that's another family story because my father died six months before that in 1990. And he was supposed to be an honorary chairman of it. But he wasn't there to, to be there. But it was, I just played well. And we had we had bad weather in the finals against Paige. Fortunately, we had this huge thunderstorm on about the eighth hole in the finals. And I think I was two or three down at that point, I don't think I tend to be very good starter sometimes. But I had a chance to go into the clubhouse and sit for two hours and, and collect my thoughts in the locker room and came out and won the next two or three holes and got back to even and then ended up winning the the final match and the championship. So again, it was a tribute to my father who wasn't there, and my mother who was there, so and it was at my home club. So you can't beat that with a stick. 

Mike Gonzalez  11:29

A little bit of home cook and it's awfully nice. 

Semple Thompson, Carol  11:31

That's right. 

Mike Gonzalez  11:32

Yeah. And then it was two years later that you came second in a 19-hole match. So that must have been a tough one too down in Florida.

Semple Thompson, Carol  11:42

Yes, I managed to miss about a three-foot putt on the final hole to win it. And then we had to go extra holes. And I think I bogeyed the first extra hole. So it would have been nice to have followed up but wasn't meant to be. I had to wait a few more years to get my second one.

Mike Gonzalez  12:00

Bruce, I think we have a potential answer to one of our final questions there that I detected. We'll come back to that one. And then and then 1997. You win it again? You win the Mid Amateur over Leslie Shannon, two and one in Atlantic City.

Semple Thompson, Carol  12:18

Yes. And I played pretty well then. It was. I don't remember a lot of detail. I do remember one thing. I had just gotten some hybrid woods. And we were playing one hole and it was in the finals against Leslie and I asked my caddy for my I think it was my seven wood my seven hybrid. And he handed me my nine. And I didn't get it over a hazard. So then I looked close, I learned that I need to look at my club before I hit it sometimes. Especially since it was brand new. I just didn't. It looked like the other hybrid. But then Leslie messed up the same hole so it was alright. 

Mike Gonzalez  12:59

It all worked out. 

Semple Thompson, Carol  13:00

Yes, it all worked out. 

Mike Gonzalez  13:02

Well, you turn 50. And that gives you an opportunity to play a tournament you hadn't played in before. And you go boom, boom, boom, boom,

Devlin, Bruce  13:12

Right four in a row. Four in a row

Semple Thompson, Carol  13:15

Yep, four in a row. That was that was an amazing run. And I had my mother with me the whole time. So that was that was nice. The first year, we played in Arizona and the USGA was trying to figure out what to do about carts because they were allowing carts. And at the club in Arizona, they had enough carts for every player to have her own cart. And you can have your caddy ride with you in the cart with you. So I designated my mother as my caddy. So she had the best seat in the house, sitting in the cart and watching me play the whole time. And so I won that one. So that was the start of four good years of the Senior.

Mike Gonzalez  13:57

We're talking about the 1999 US Senior Women's Amateur, which you won in a match over Cecilia Mourgue-D'Algue. I'm going to mess up the last name  Mourgue-D'Algue I'll take your word for it. In 19 holes This was a Desert Mountain on the Cochise Course. And with that win you joined course JoAnne Carner We've talked about Jack Nicklaus, who we've talked about Arnold Palmer later Tiger Woods as the winner of three different USGA championships.

Semple Thompson, Carol  14:27

I know that was amazing. I mean, I've been with a lot of people have compared me to Tiger in that way. But of course Tiger was on his way up, he won the Junior and then the Amateur and then the Open. Whereas I won the Amateur and then I went down to the Mid Amateur and down to the Senior so I was on my way down as he was on his way up. But it was three different championships so I'm not complaining.

Mike Gonzalez  14:50

And then of course we talked about then 2000, 2001 ,2002 four straight at the U.S. Senior Amateur. The 2000 win was it Sea Island, which is pretty close to we we are down in Beaufort, South Carolina, and then that 2001 venue looks pretty familiar. 

Devlin, Bruce  15:11

Yeah. I wonder where that was? 

Mike Gonzalez  15:12

You like that homecooking?

Semple Thompson, Carol  15:14

Yes, I like that at Allegheny Country Club. And that was the year of 9/11. That was the week of 9/11, which was a terrible week. But so we qualified Saturday and Sunday. And we played two rounds. I guess we played one round on Monday. And we were in the midst of playing a double round on Tuesday, which was the day that the tragedy happened. And I can remember my husband coming up to me on the tee at about was about 9:30 Because I was taking off on the first tee and he said, there's been an accident. A plane hit the World Trade Center. And of course, I thought, well, I just thought there was a little Piper Cub that got a little close to the building. And so we went on and played and, and didn't find out until we came in at lunchtime that what had really happened. And it was it was horrible. But we played that afternoon round, because we didn't know what else to do. And then we had a meeting, we were down to the quarterfinals. I think that Tuesday night, we had a meeting with the USGA staff person and she said, Well, what do you want to do? Should we quit? Should we keep playing and we didn't know what to do. So someone said, Well, the President is going to speak tonight. And he apparently is going to talk about getting back to normal, do whatever we can to not let this throw us for a loop. And so we said, Okay, we'll go ahead and play. So we played two rounds the next day in dead quiet. Allegheny is sort of in the flight path for the Pittsburgh airport. So there were no flights. It was a perfectly beautiful, gorgeous blue sky day and dead quiet us there was no traffic. There are some roads that go around the Golf Course. And it was very eerie. But we played the second round, and that are two rounds that day, and then the finals on Thursday, and, and then people started to try to get out of the city to get home and they couldn't. So some people were stuck there for five days. And some people rented cars, and some people bought cars together and drove home. It was it was a horrible week. Right? But it was wonderful for me, but it was a horrible week.

Mike Gonzalez  17:24

It sure was you. You mentioned your late husband Dick, who you lost in 2021. When did he come into your life?

Semple Thompson, Carol  17:32

About 1980, we dated for a couple of years, he was a widower. And I finally was able to snag him because he would. there were a lot of women after him because he was very attractive guy. But he finally succumbed to my wiles. And so we got married 1983. And he was a great supporter, he was the light of my life, love of my life. So we had a wonderful time he loved photography. So he did a lot of photography and golf tournaments when I was playing and

Devlin, Bruce  18:10

You've got quite a library of photographs, I bet.

Semple Thompson, Carol  18:12

Yes, quite a library. So we had a we had a wonderful life together. And he supported me through thick and thin supporting me financially. Actually, he really enabled me to keep playing amateur golf, because I had been working for seven or eight years in a bank to support my habit. And then, about two years after we got married, he let me quit working and I continued to play golf.

Mike Gonzalez  18:40

Well, he was into photography when it was really photography.

Semple Thompson, Carol  18:44

Well it was but he very quickly got into digital stuff and loved Photoshop. He was a photographer all his life, but he did the transition. And he would spend hours on the computer, editing everything. In fact, he would take a picture and he would never leave it alone. I would say it looks fine. No, no, I gotta change this background. It's a little bit that whatever. And it was a great hobby for him. It's kind of like recording a podcast and never leaving it alone. So was he a golfer? He was about a 12 handicap. And he was the president of his club when I met him of a local club called Shanifin and so we didn't play all that much golf together. But but we we did play some golf and, and we were both interested in the game. So it was a good match for us.

Mike Gonzalez  19:39

Well, let's go to the final victory, which was in 2002. And that was at another special place, historic place in terms of the ownership and the management and that was at Mid Pines

Semple Thompson, Carol  19:51

Yes. Mid Pines. Peggy Kirk Bell's place. And it was just Well, first of all, I couldn't believe I was going for my fourth title. It was, but I played very well, I was I was playing well, and it was good weather and everything went, right. I ended up winning the championship for the fourth time. And I can remember my mother was there, of course following me every step of the way. And by that time, they had scooters out there. So spectators could ride little scooters around the Golf Course, she was a pretty wild driver, but she managed to get around. But as we were driving home from the this championship, I had just won my fourth Senior in a row. She said, I think you better get to John for a lesson because you missed some shots in the final. Though she was she was after me even then after I'd won seven USGA championships. And four seniors in a row, she was bound and determined that I was going to get better.

Devlin, Bruce  20:53

Gotta keep working.

Mike Gonzalez  20:57

Well, as you mentioned, four straight Senior Women Amateurs at a very special place at Mid Pines. One thing we haven't really done is talk specifically about your game. And, and so let's just have you critique various aspects of your game throughout your career. Let's just start with the tee ball, A, B, C, D, what kind of driver of the ball were you?

Semple Thompson, Carol  21:21

Well, I tended to hit the ball straight. So I was pretty much not in trouble. I didn't, I never really did learn how to fade it in and draw it and I mean, I could do it if I had to. But I really prefer to hit the ball straight. And so that was the strength of my game that I was not in trouble a lot. And my short game was okay, I was streaky putter. Sometimes I could make every putt I looked at and other times I could miss a three footer as I did, in the finals in the Mid Amateur one year, but, and at times, I had the yips. But in general, I was a pretty good putter. I was fairly wristy, I learned putting from my father, who was a very wristy putter. And I've since tried to become less wristy, like everyone, but I've never been able to do the left hand low. I'm doing the claw now out of desperation. When I was playing well, I just I just felt like I could hit the ball where I wanted to. Yeah, pretty much in the middle of the fairway most of the time and pretty much on the green. I played, always played for pars. I didn't. And if a birdie came along, that was fine. I mean, I would be sunk today because the better players I think, are always expecting to make birdies. But my game was a little bit more plodding, if you will, but I could get myself around the Golf Course and usually pretty close to par or a little bit under par and that was very effective through those years.

Devlin, Bruce  22:54

So Carol, for you. We go back to your career back in the 70's and 80's. And then through the senior thing, how much do you see the game changing during that period of time? How did it affect your game?

Semple Thompson, Carol  23:13

Well, I as I said my attitude probably would not be effective today because I I don't I didn't tend to think of low low low scores. I'm amazed at how low the scores are these days. And the Golf Courses certainly haven't gotten any easier. The players have gotten better. They've gotten stronger. The equipment, of course is better than golf, the golf ball flies farther. There's so many some of that is negative, but I guess most for the most part, it's positive, because it makes the game appealing and exciting. So I think my game probably would not be as effective. I would have to change the way I was thinking for to be effective in the game today. I wouldn't be able to just think of par every hole I'd have to be more aggressive. But as far as physically, I think I could be like I would still be effective because I was a good athlete and good timing. And my my game probably would would have held up pretty well. I mean now it's it's terrible. Like all old people complain my golf lousy, but I'm still trying to enjoy it. I'm determined to try to enjoy it. My mother when she was 85 was out there. champing at the bit. I couldn't wait to get out there to play golf every day. And I'm trying to be that way. So we'll see how it goes.

Devlin, Bruce  24:40

Pretty special.

Mike Gonzalez  24:41

We're not getting any longer though. Are we?

Semple Thompson, Carol  24:44

Oh my god. I'm just a little pittypat player now. 

Mike Gonzalez  24:49

So for example, when you played in your last to U.S. Senior Women's Open. How far past you were the 50 year olds hitting the golf ball.

Semple Thompson, Carol  24:59

Oh, like 50 yards. So I mean, it's not that I didn't deserve to be there, but I should not have been there because I was taking somebody's place who could really outplay me, I'm sure. So there's, I mean, in my prime, I was sort of medium to medium long off the tee. At least that's the way I thought of myself. I was never I never felt like I was being out hit by many players. And now it's totally the opposite. I mean, I'm just an ultra senior player. And the 50 year olds are young,

Mike Gonzalez  25:35

You know, back when, when you were learning the game and growing up 60's, 70's let's say, Bruce, that was your era, The deltas between the bigger hitters and the longer hitters was much more compressed than it is today. Right? I mean, Bruce, you talk about Nicklaus maybe not going to 10 yards 15 yards by at best. It wasn't 50 was it.

Devlin, Bruce  25:58

Well, into the wind. I was as long as Nicklaus. But downwind it was no no contest, because I hit it, you know, probably 70 or 80 feet lower than what he did. And he put it up there and it just, you waved at it.

Semple Thompson, Carol  26:20

Well, the only woman I can think of who was really much longer than I was, was JoAnne Carner. When in our, in her prime, my prime, whatever. She's always been head and shoulders above the other players in terms of distance,

Mike Gonzalez  26:37

But she had probably much more experience in the trees than you ever had.

Semple Thompson, Carol  26:43

Don't I wish. But she knew how to get out of them. So it didn't matter.

Mike Gonzalez  26:49

We've heard of some mystical shots from her from some crazy places.

Semple Thompson, Carol  26:55

I remember the 1966 U.S. Women's Amateur it was played at Sewickley Heights Golf Club, and in the Finals was JoAnne Carner And Marlene Streit. And Marlene has always been a short. She's a little teeny pixie everything and she's always been pretty short off the tee. And she said she paced them off a couple of times and JoAnne was 100 yards ahead of her. However, that final match went down to the 36th hole. And Marlene had a putt to win, which she did not make. So they went extra holes and they played five extra holes. So they played 41 holes, and JoAnne finally won over Marlene, even though she had that huge advantage. Of course, Marlene could run the ball up the lady's aid onto the green with her three woods. So she was able to compensate.

Mike Gonzalez  27:47

So we certainly don't want to wrap without talking a little bit about your major championship experience. You had a chance, I think, to play in The Dinah Shore at least once did you not?

Semple Thompson, Carol  28:00

I played a number of times, maybe five or six times I think that was always fun, because it was a big thrill to be invited as an amateur. I mean, because they invited only the top five I think it through some of the years. And I was low amateur, at least once, maybe twice. So yes. That was a big, big deal to go and play in the Dinah Shore. I missed the Dinah Shore very much.

Mike Gonzalez  28:26

Well, and as you can appreciate all the LPGA pros that played in that over the years, which, you know, they sort of considered that their Masters, didn't they?

Semple Thompson, Carol  28:35

Yes, they did. 

Devlin, Bruce  28:36

Definitely.

Semple Thompson, Carol  28:38

Yes. And I hope, I hope it will build up in its prestige. I mean, it's still important, but I hated to see move from the desert. But things change.

Mike Gonzalez  28:52

I mentioned earlier and then you correct me if the numbers wrong with playing in 32 Women's U.S. Opens.

Semple Thompson, Carol  29:00

That's right. And part of that. I think I said earlier that I started playing in those in the 60's. And the reason my mother and I played was we didn't have to qualify, we could just send in an entry I think there were only I think they were maybe 85 players the first year we played and maybe 100 The second year and it was for a lot of my career. I didn't have to qualify for the opens which is huge. Yeah. Either had exemptions from winning the amateur or being on a Curtis Cup team or being on the World Team or getting the semi finals I mean they they had fairly lenient exemptions through a lot of my career. So I was able to play without facing that that daunting task of qualifying it ahead of time.

Mike Gonzalez  29:53

Best finish I believe 1972 T-9 at Winged Foot.

Semple Thompson, Carol  29:58

Yes, I wasn't low amateur I think Jane Bass and Trey Booth was the low amateur that  year. So even though I played very well, I only got a silver medal for it or whatever they gave. Maybe they didn't give anything but I can't remember.

Mike Gonzalez  30:17

Well, that was Susie Berning's second of three U.S. Opens. Susie's story we just featured Bruce yesterday on the podcast. Yeah, perfect. Great. Yeah. And one of the more recent inductees into the Hall of Fame, she went into the last class, where we've got Sandra Palmer and some of the Founders and a few others Padraig Harrington coming into the next class next one. 

Semple Thompson, Carol  30:42

That's right next year at Pinehurst.

Mike Gonzalez  30:44

That's right where they'll open up the new World Golf Hall of Fame location. So they've I would guess, have been in touch with you about what you'd like to have presented in the new location.

Semple Thompson, Carol  30:55

They have been in touch with me we haven't hammered out everything but all my medals are gonna go not all my metals, I've got a couple of medals my I have seven gold medals, two of which are going to go to Allegheny because the two championships I won there. But then the other five will go and my British medal will go to the USGA, but I think they're interested in my contestant badges. My 121 Contestant badges.

Devlin, Bruce  31:21

And you've kept them all huh?

Semple Thompson, Carol  31:23

I think I have them all. I don't know. Of course, there again, one of them will go to Allegheny or two of them will go because two of them were played in Allegheny. But I also have pins from all the Curtis Cup teams, they gave little pins to each team member. And so I have a collection of those. And I was in touch with Hillary Cronheim, who's head of the museum at the USGA. And she mentioned that they'd like to have all that stuff and try to put a display in my they're going to have lockers for each member. And I don't I don't know how they can get that all in a locker. But they can they can figure that out. Yeah, that they can have they can have that stuff. Yes.

Mike Gonzalez  32:07

Well, part of our agreement with the USGA obviously calls for them to archive these stories in perpetuity, but they're also going to make our material available on their platforms. And then the other thing that's kind of exciting is they want to repurpose a lot of what these stories are. And so we wouldn't be surprised at all, to be able to go into that museum, hit a little button and maybe hear a little clip from this interview.  fFom this interview. How nice. Great. So I think they're gonna have a lot of fun with it. Bruce, you know, as we always talk about the end with our guests, we talk about some of the awards and accolades. Of course, this is a pretty long list for this young lady.

Devlin, Bruce  32:48

Sure is.

Semple Thompson, Carol  32:50

I think that's because everybody's already gone.

Devlin, Bruce  32:56

Well, 1994 to 2000 served as a USGA executive committee member, right and also part of the museum committee. Winner of the 2003 USGA, Bob Jones Award, that had to be a great thrill.

Semple Thompson, Carol  33:15

Well, it was because I, when I was on the executive committee, I was head of the Bob Jones committee. So I was involved in giving some of the Bob Jones awards to people so when they gave it to me, it was a shock. But it was such an honor. Just it's so it's so wonderful to be honored by an association that's meant so much to me through the years.

Mike Gonzalez  33:37

Absolutely. And what a list of winners over the years.

Semple Thompson, Carol  33:41

Oh my gosh, yes.

Mike Gonzalez  33:43

Pretty special. Pretty special. Yeah. The 2005 PGA First Lady of Golf Award. Tell us a little bit about that.

Semple Thompson, Carol  33:52

Well, that was given here in Pittsburgh. And Arnold was a little bit involved in that. The location was near Latrobe Laytrobe as some of the locals call it,  at St. Vincent College so Arnold came and was part of that presentation. That was another shock. I didn't know the the PGA I that was seems strange for me to be named First Lady for the PGA but it was it was wonderful.

Mike Gonzalez  34:24

And then Bruce 15 years ago pretty special.

Devlin, Bruce  34:28

How about that? Well, World Golf Hall of Fame,

Semple Thompson, Carol  34:31

World Golf Hall of Fame. And my mother was there for that. She died soon thereafter, but she was able to see that which meant a tremendous amount to me. 

Devlin, Bruce  34:42

You went in there with some pretty interesting people Pete and Alice Dye, my buddy sir Bob Charles, Herbert Warren Wind. Danny Shute and Craig Wood. Boy, that's quite a group.

Semple Thompson, Carol  34:58

Well Pete was a very good friend Pete and Alice were both there, well Alice was like a second mother to me. So I spent a lot of time with Pete and Alice in Delray, stayed at their house a lot. And when I was told that I was going to go into the World Golf Hall of Fame, it was, David Fay pulled me aside at a cocktail party at the Masters. He said, he pulled me into the coat closet, I was coming into the party, and he said, I've got to talk to you. So he took me in there. He said, You're going to be going into the World Golf Hall of Fame. And I said, Oh, come on. What a joke. They said, no really you are, but you can't tell anyone about this. I said, Well, Oh, okay. I had about seven members of my family at the cocktail party. So I immediately went out and they were all sitting at a table. I said, Guess what? That didn't take long. You can't tell anyone. Yeah. And then later in the summer, it was about six weeks later, I was at somebody else's house, spending some time with Pete and Alice. And Pete got a phone call from I think it was Tim Fincham saying that he was going to get in go into the World Golf Hall of Fame. people reacted the way I did, like, you know, what are those guys thinking? They're crazy. And he came in into the room, and I and I couldn't tell him that I was also going into the Hall of Fame. It was terrible. So we, we all congratulated him and, and then he was, he was so funny about it. When we went to the actual ceremony, we had to practice that day with the television people. Because there was specific timing on the speeches that we were going to give, I think we were given 12 to 15 minutes for our, our acceptance speech. So I went and watched Pete give his practice speech, and he had a yellow legal sized tablet, and they flip the pages. And he talked for 30 minutes. And the television guy said, Pete, by tonight, you have to cut your speech from 30 minutes down to 15. And he said, Okay, sure. Sure. Sure. No problem. So that night, yeah, the same tablet, kept popping pages. And he talked to her at least 30 minutes. This kind of guy he was he was just it was just wonderful. Just, I loved him. dearly.

Mike Gonzalez  37:23

I congratulate you on both the fine speech and sticking to your timeline.

Semple Thompson, Carol  37:28

Oh, yeah. Well, I think I had trouble making it to five minutes, I think. But it was wonderful to be there.

Mike Gonzalez  37:36

Yeah, what an honor. And then National Golf Coaches Hall of Fame in 2008. And then in 2015, you became part of an inaugural group at a pretty famous place. That was pretty special, because the R&A, for the first time said, You know what, we're going to bring women into our organization.

Semple Thompson, Carol  37:58

Well, that's right. I think they brought 14 Women in as a group. And I think there are seven honorary, and seven ordinary members. And I went into the ordinary group, so I got to pay my dues. And the honoraries, I don't, but they're just honorary. So that's Yeah, it's fine with me, though. I've had I've been back twice for the fall meeting. And it's been it's been a wonderful experience. Everybody's been terrific, very welcoming of all the women who have joined the club.

Mike Gonzalez  38:33

So you're part of that inaugural class of women at the at the R&A and then in 2018, you're inducted into your Miss Porter School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Semple Thompson, Carol  38:47

Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that was fun, too. I was interesting. I didn't I think they just decided they needed to have a Hall of Fame at Miss Porter's. So I, I went and, and joined that group, too. And I also was taken into the Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame that was new about something like 2018, maybe 2016. And Arnold and I were the inaugural people there. So Arnie and I at the dinner there, they had a fireside chat was just the two of us being interviewed by gosh, names escape me. I'm sorry. But the we had been sent questions ahead of time. And our interviewer asked the first question, he sort of he was asking me the question, and Arnie, who was sitting pretty close to me, said he elbowed me and he said, Don't worry, good. I've got this. And then he talked for 40 minutes. That was perfect. I didn't have to say a word.

Devlin, Bruce  39:56

Well, that's quite a career, quite a career

Mike Gonzalez  40:01

How many more USGA championships Do you have in you do you think?

Semple Thompson, Carol  40:07

Maybe none. I don't have any more exemptions but next summer, I'll try to qualify for the Senior Women's Amateur. If for no other reason than to swell the ranks for qualifying, our qualifying site is sort of, we don't get very many people to qualify. So you don't get very many exemptions spots. So I'll try to help out. Somebody else get into the championship. I don't see myself playing a whole lot about this.

Mike Gonzalez  40:34

How about the US Senior Women's Open?

Semple Thompson, Carol  40:38

Well, next year it's going to be at played at Fox Chapel in Pittsburgh. And I might, I might try to qualify for that. Just for the fun of it.  But I, I don't know. It's a little long for me. As we've talked about, I'm just, I'm a little pittypat. Player now. So it's not so much fun. But it is fun to see everyone.

Mike Gonzalez  40:47

Yeah

Devlin, Bruce  40:47

Why not? 

Mike Gonzalez  41:00

Yeaah, it would be kind of cool to compete there in your backyard?

Semple Thompson, Carol  41:04

It would it would be very cool. But we'll see.

Mike Gonzalez  41:07

So before we let you go, there's always three questions that we like to ask our guests. I kind of hinted at one of them. But I always defer to the good looking guy. And so I'm going to, I'm going to defer to my partner and let him ask the first question.

Devlin, Bruce  41:26

So if you knew when you were 20 years old, what you know now, what would you have done differently?

Semple Thompson, Carol  41:42

I don't think I would have done very much differently. I mean, I, I don't think I would have turned professional right away. Although, if if I were 20 year old years old now I probably would have played college golf. So I would probably be on a professional path. But it's, it's really hard to say I mean, I I love the way my life unfolded. I've had a wonderful life. I've been successful beyond my wildest dreams. And I'm just I'm very happy with my life. Life is good.

Mike Gonzalez  42:22

So I'm gonna give you one career Mulligan? Where do you take it?

Semple Thompson, Carol  42:28

One career Mulligan might have been that putt that I missed in the finals of the Women's Mid Amateur in 1997 or 1992  I think it was. If I had made that point I would might have won three mid amateurs, then I I'd have eight championships.

Mike Gonzalez  42:50

I mean, that was the obvious one as we talked but perhaps there are others. Can you think of any other single swing or putt that might have made a big difference?

Semple Thompson, Carol  43:01

No, I can't I remember playing on the opposite end of the spectrum. I remember playing in the Women's Open going off first at 7:30 in the morning, and in the process of my rpund I sank a five iron, came in with a 66 and led the the Women's Open for about half an hour before someone else came in with a 66. But I can't think of any other one Mulligan, I would have had to think about that more. That's a good one, though. That's a good one.

Devlin, Bruce  43:32

So we're going to finish it off by asking you, How would you like to be remembered?

Semple Thompson, Carol  43:44

I would like to be remembered as one of the great women amateurs of golf. And apparently, that's what people are saying about me now. So I am still amazed that that's the case. But that's how I would like to be remembered.

Devlin, Bruce  43:59

You certainly deserve that honor. And Mike and I want to thank you so much for your time today. You've be great with giving us plenty of time to tell your story. And we thank you for joining us. It's been fun.

Semple Thompson, Carol  44:12

Thank you. I'm very flattered to be included. I mean, I think you're doing a wonderful thing here getting everybody to tell their stories. And so I can't wait to listen to some of your other podcasts. I did listen to a little bit of Juli Inkster's the other day so I'm looking forward to going back and finding more of them.

Mike Gonzalez  44:32

Carol, thanks for sharing your story on FORE the Good of the Game.

Semple Thompson, Carol  44:36

Thank you, Bruce. Thank you, Mike.

Mike Gonzalez  44:39

Thank you for listening to another episode of FORE the Good of the Game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcasts on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, spread the word and tell your friends. Until we tee it up again, FORE the Good of the Game, so long everybody.

Music playing  44:58