Ray Thompson Tribute

Growing up at Overbrook in the 90’s, you did not have to turn on the television to try and
find golfers to emulate. We certainly followed the PGA tour, but there were so many great
players at OGC that it was easier to try and copy the guys that we saw right in front of us on
a daily basis. And even the other great players at OGC like Chris Sr. and Andy would tell
the young guys to try and emulate Ray’s swing.

As a young guy I will never forget watching Ray hit sawed off seven irons with his old set
of Mizuno T Zoids. On Overbrook’s 10th hole for instance, he would manufacture these
pure little trap cuts. They would start super low and rise a little (remember how the old
balls would rise and balloon a bit when they were struck just right?) and the ball would ei-
ther not curve at all or fall a yard to the right. At a very young age I can remember think-
ing, “Man, what was that? That was DIFFERENT.”

There is no doubt that having a certain amount of talent is an important ingredient to being
successful in any arena of life, and Ray had loads of talent on the golf course. But Ray was-
n’t just talented, Ray was great, and I believe that greatness comes when talent and passion
for the given endeavor converge with each other. Every late afternoon during the spring
and summer, Ray would show up to Overbrook in his work clothes. He would hit balls,
work on his short game, or go to the putting green with work slacks on and a button down
dress shirt. Didn’t matter what the temperature was. He worked on his game every day
well in to his late sixties. And every Saturday and Sunday Ray would be on the first tee like
clockwork, and casually shoot a score that fell somewhere in the high 60’s. Ray would just
show up. Didn’t matter much to him who he was playing with or if he had a game set up
beforehand. He would simply show up and CARRY HIS OWN BAG.

Ray had such a pure love and passion for the game and he never stopped trying to get bet-
ter. With all the success he experienced and the trophies he won, it never seemed like he
basked in the limelight or particularly enjoyed the attention and adulation that can some-
times come with playing great golf. When Ray won, and he won a lot, the look on his face
always appeared to be a look of satisfaction. Satisfied with himself that all his hard work
had enabled him to compete to the best of his ability. He would sit back and sip on a Man-
hattan, satisfied from the validation that he had just received that he was still learning and
getting better at the game. The journey never stopped for Ray. He had a growth mindset
right up until the end. To me, it seemed he played golf because of the joy he received from
the never-ending quest to improve. Why else would a guy in his late sixties, who had al-
ready won all the trophies, be grinding it out in a bunker on a Tuesday afternoon in his
work slacks? Everyone talks about the talent and the swing, and there is no doubt that
watching Ray hit a golf ball was a thing of beauty. But the growth mindset and the never
ending quest to improve, in my opinion, is why he was so great and had such a prolific rec-
ord spanning over 5 decades.

Ray was a true throwback. The last of a dying breed. He was no nonsense. A man’s
man. He was dependable and loyal. He was either a friend, a mentor, or both a friend and
a mentor to every Overbrook guy on this email chain. Overbrook’s driving range at 5 on a
weekday is never going to be the same and the weekend games will never be the same ei-
ther. Ray was a constant. I don’t think any of us OGC guys have really come to grips with
the tremendous void that will be left this spring and summer with Ray not being here. As
Oscar Mestre told me when we spoke a few weeks ago, Ray’s absence is simply too hard to
fathom.

It would be impossible to use this format to delve in to Ray’s incredible golf resume that in-
cluded U.S Opens, USGA Championships, and impressive wins on the state and local lev-
els. I could go on forever about Ray and I really don’t know what else to say. At the end of
the day we are all going to miss the hell out of him. He represented everything Overbrook
has been about for as long as I can remember; true love and passion for golf, hard work and
toughness, and last but certainly not least, the ability to let loose and have a great time when
the occasion called for it. They don’t make em’ like Ray anymore. He was one of the great
ones. Our thoughts and prayers are always with Vicki, Justin, Jamie, Andy and the rest of
the Thompson clan. May God rest his soul.

Chris Lange Jr