Stewart, who won eleven PGA Tour events, including three majors before his untimely death at the age of 42 in a plane crash in 1999, had won the Indian Open in 1981 and Thompson said it was "surreal" to play the 50th edition of the same event.
"I would look to follow Payne Stewart. As a seven year old, I remember getting his autograph and to play here where he played and was so successful is surreal. It is an honour to play the 50th edition of the tournament and I would look forward to performing to the best and beat a strong field," Thompson told reporters.
From languishing at bottom of the leaderboard at Northern Trust Open with a score of 16-over 158, Thomson shot a nine-under 271 to win the Honda Classic in Florida and the American golfer said it was getting back to basics, which helped.
"After a low last week, I had gone to the basics. It can be a grind sometimes, golf can wear you down. I mean, it has been great and a dream to be a golfer. But finishing last at Riviera was bad for me. I practiced my tail off and went to Honda Classic without any expectations," said Thompson, who had three top-10 finish at PGA tour after the title win.