Webb Simpson – Player Bio

Webb Simpson will turn up to Medinah, Chicago, with a major under his belt and the confidence of a man in the top-five of the Official Golf World Rankings.

He will walk in wearing a very different pair of shoes to those of 2010, when he laboured to 94th on the money list.

His career got back on track in 2011 with three top-25 finishes in his opening five events on tour, including the chance to win his first PGA Tour title at the 2011 Transitions Championship, but he bogeyed the final hole, missing out by one stroke to Gary Woodland.

The 27-year-old then came even closer to his first career win when he lost out in a playoff to Bubba Watson at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Both players made a birdie on the first extra hole, the 18th, with Watson holing a 12 footer to take the playoff to a second hole. When they replayed the 18th hole for a third time in succession, Simpson missed exactly the same putt for birdie which Watson had holed earlier during the first playoff hole, allowing Watson to tap in for the victory.

He made his U.S. Open debut in June, finishing T14, before another top-20 showing at The Open a month later. He eventually won his first PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in August 2011 after carding a final round of 67. In September, Simpson won his second tournament of the 2011 PGA Tour season and of his career, at the second FedEx Cup playoff event, the Deutsche Bank Championship. He beat Chez Reavie in a sudden death playoff. Simpson made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to cut Reavie’s lead to one and when Reavie bogeyed the 18th, they went into a playoff replaying the 18th hole. Simpson made another 12-foot birdie putt to stay alive while Reavie made birdie. On the 17th hole Simpson hit his second shot on the par-4 to 8 feet and Reavie replied by hitting his to within 20 feet. Reavie shaved the edge with his attempt, allowing Simpson to capitalise by knocking his 8 footer in for the victory.

Simpson mendured this third playoff of 2011, this time losing again to Ben Crane at the McGladrey Classic in October. Simpson missed a three footer for par. The runner-up finish made him number one on the money list, overtaking Luke Donald with one week remaining. Donald however won the final event of the season at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic to beat Simpson to the money.

Even so, Simpson finished the year with a record of 23 cuts made in 26 starts and well over $6 million in prize money.
 
In November, Simpson represented the United States for the first time at the Presidents Cup in Australia, posting a 3–2 record, helping the United States defeat the International team, 19–15.
 
Simpson continued his 2011 form after Christmas, finishing T3 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, four shots off the winning total of Steve Stricker. He then recorded top-10s at both the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Transitions Championship to maintain his solid start to the year. Then at the Wells Fargo Championship Simpson finished fourth after holding the 54-hole lead. He made a late bogey in his final round on Sunday to finish a shot outside of a playoff. 

In June 2012 Simpson shot a closing two-under 68 to overhaul leaders Jim Fuyrk and Graeme McDowell to win the U.S. Open. It was his first major championship win and moved him to a career-high fifth in the OWGR. A week later he returned with a T29 at the Travelers Championship, before four bogeys on the back nine cost him a two-shot lead at the following tournament, the Greenbrier Classic. 

He skipped the 2012 Open to be at the birth of his second child and so did not play for another month until the final major of the year, the PGA Championship. This showed when he started the first round at six-over-par through seven holes on his way to an opening round of 79. This left him too much to do in round two and despite shooting an even-par round in very difficult conditions, he missed the cut by one stroke.

A T22 at the Wyndham Championship and a T18 at the Deutsche Bank Championship shows Simpson’s form is returning at the right time ahead of the big match at Medinah.