I learned to hit the ball with all my might from the minute I first began to swing a club. Naturally that worked to the detriment of my short game. I got too much kick out of out driving everybody to worry about the finer shots around the green."

Off the tour, Jimmy worked as a teaching pro at Broadmoor Country Club in Colorado Springs (1930); Los Angeles C.C (1934), Lakewood Country Club (1935) in Los Angeles where he met and married Viola Dana, a popular movie star of the'30s; Shawnee-On-The Delaware C.C (1936) and Chicopee Falls (1941).

For many years Jimmy Thomson was a member of the Spalding golf advisory staff at their headquarters in Chicople and was well known throughout Western Massachusetts giving public clinics. He also took part in exhibition matches sponsored by Spalding & Co. across the United States with Harry Cooper and Lawson Little. During WW2 Thomson served in the US Coast Guard and in 1940 was among an elite field of invited pro's, playing in a round-robin tournament at Freshmeadow C.C in New York. Including Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen, Jimmy Demaret, Horton Smith and Sam Snead.

Jimmy returned with Lawson Little to Scotland in 1948 to compete in the Open at Muirfield and on Monday 12th July following the Open, played an exhibition match over the North Berwick West Links. This time he was joined by Brazilian Mario Gonzalez and the newly crowned Open champion Henry Cotton. The spectators had come to see the South American, an amateur at that time playing in his first Open, described as having a stick-like physique but was noted for the beauty and power of his strike.

That day Jimmy stole the show, driving the 328 yard first green to the crowd's delight, but more was to follow. At the 14th named ' Perfection', a 376 yard par 4, Jimmy holed his second shot to the blind green and Henry Cotton turned to the crowd and said " Local boy comes good "

In 1953, Jimmy Thomson appeared in the movie 'The Caddy' with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Jimmy also featured in the movie 'Shoot Yourself Some Golf' with actor Ronald Reagan (1942) and with a number of pro's in 'Swing With Bing', featuring Bing Crosby (1940). He also wrote a book called Hit 'Em for Miles, How to Drive a Golf Ball.

In 1960 Thomson was made a life member of the Carolina PGA Section. Although his tournament days were over, Jimmy was still very much involved in the game, being appointed promotional director for Dunlop in the United States.

Wilfred sailed to the USA from Southampton on the S.S. Adriatic in November 1920. His contact on arrival was a Mrs C. Mitchell 1st and East 3rd Street, New York. Wilfred travelled to Richmond where he was appointed golf pro at The Country Club of Virginia (1921-24). The following year he was joined by his wife, daughter Emily and 12 year old son Jimmy. Wilfred moved to the Hermitage Country Club in Richmond (1925-28), Burning Tree in Maryland (1924-26), Holston Hills at Knoxville in Tennessee, Norville, Kentucky and then back to the Hermitage Country Club. The original Hermitage course which hosted the PGA Championship in 1949, is now a public course in Richmond. Many North Berwick golfers stayed with Wilfred and his family at 3204 Grove Avenue in Richmond while they searched for employment including James Souter and Alan Brodie. Thomson became an American Citizen on 3rd January 1927 at the Richmond District Court.

In 1921 Wilfred Thomson joined Jack Forrester and James Ferguson as they travelled north to Washington to enter the US Open at Columbia Country Club where Fred McLeod's was the professional. That year Thomson wintered in Florida and returned to Richmond in the spring. In June 1925, this article appeared in the Virginia Richmond Times Dispatch entitled Shattering Records '....Wilfred Thomson, golf professional at the Hermitage Country Club, successfully attained an objective on his home course that had defied the best efforts of the great Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and other noted stars, when he carded a 71, on the par 73 course. Thomson took fifteen putts on the outward nine, and thirteen coming home for a total of 28 putts in the full round....'

Wilfred Thomson returned to the UK in 1936 and took up the post of private professional to Lord Wimborne at Rugby. On the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the Royal Scots regiment, Thomson had also seen active service during the 1914-18 war. After peace had been declared, he travelled back to America for a short period, and then finally returned to North Berwick, living at 25 East Road.