Our Georgia Commitment: Todd and Davis Thompson
Father and son duo Todd BSEd ’88 and Davis BSEd ’21 Thompson have channeled their passion for golf into a tool to improve the lives of UGA students. Based in St. Simons Island, Todd serves as the tournament director for The RSM Classic golf tournament, while Davis is a player on the PGA Tour. Todd works in tandem with the Davis Love Foundation to host The RSM Classic each fall. With the help of other Golden Isles alumni, a partnership between the foundation and UGA has yielded two endowed scholarships through the Let All the BigDawgs Eat Scholarship Initiative and the Georgia Commitment Scholars program.
Q: As former student-athletes at UGA, how did your experiences shape your passions for philanthropy?
Davis: While playing golf at UGA, I studied sport management. That helped me see a different side to the sport. I was given opportunities to grow as an athlete and an individual through my program, so I want students who come after me to have those same experiences.
Todd: When I played at UGA, it was not as structured as it is now with workouts and mandatory study halls. The focus on charity and philanthropy involving student-athletes is much bigger now, and that was something the Davis Love Foundation was really interested in. My role in the PGA Tour is centered on charity, and our goal with these tournaments is to raise money and give back. I’m so thankful Davis has had the opportunity to be exposed to topics like this a lot earlier than I was.
“Our tagline is ‘helping children and families in need,’ and when we found we were able to do that with students at the university, we jumped at the chance.”
—Todd Thompson, Tournament Director, The RSM Classic
Q: How is the Davis Love Foundation looking to expand its support of UGA students and build on their momentum?
T: We want to keep fostering the relationship we have with UGA.We have a great partnership with the university and a very dedicated group of alumni in St. Simons. We’re so grateful for the UGA staff who come down, host at the Dawghouse, and connect alumni with other former UGA golfers who are now playing professionally. Our tagline is “helping children and families in need,” and when we found we were able to do that with students at the university, we jumped at the chance. This partnership is a two-way street that we’re excited to continue and expand.
Q: What has it meant to have these experiences as father and son?
D: My dad is the reason why I grew up a Bulldog fan. When I got the chance to attend UGA and play golf there like my dad, it was a dream come true. I had a great four years at UGA, and now I get to see him on the PGA Tour at events like The RSM Classic. When I was a kid, we would go to junior golf tournaments together — he worked them while I played them, and now we get to do that on a professional level.
T: It’s been a serendipitous experience, for sure. The progression of doing this together — from his time in junior golf and seeing him grow and letting us experience both ends of professional golf to the highest level — has been a real highlight for me.
Want to make an impact on UGA? Join committed alumni like Todd and Davis and give today.
