Webb

Simpson

Simpson shared the news via social media, “I could have never done this without Paul by my side. Not only has he been my caddie and swing coach, but one of my best friends in the world.” He went on to say that Tesori will be joining Cameron Young’s team moving forward. This comes just a day after Simpson snagged his first top 10 of the season.

Simpson has been slumping for over a year now, as he’s battled with injury. He had arrived with finishes outside of the top 50 in 13 of his last 14 starts but flipped that script this week at the Valspar. He fell flat today but ended the week ranked 12th on approach and 22nd putting. This goes in the books as his 83rd career top 10 but just second since the start of last season. Gamers should watch his game moving forward to see if this is just an outlier week or if he’s truly found his form again.

The veteran had a rough day Friday on the Seaside Course, carding a triple-bogey 7 on No. 2 and back-to-back doubles on Nos. 12 and 13. Twice a playoff runner-up at Sea Island (2011 to Ben Crane and 2019 to Tyler Duncan), Simpson had not finished worse than T-41 at this event outside of a mid-tournament WD in 2017. The early exit draws to a close a disappointing 2022 for the former U.S. Open champ, who has dropped from No. 29 to No. 111 in the world rankings and has now gone nearly five months since his last finish inside the top 50.

Simpson arrived without much form to speak of but did have six top-12 finishes in 10 tries on his RSM resume. The course horse did it again today with steady driving (12-of-14 fairways) and 13 GIR while taking on the Plantation Course at Sea Island. The clear highlight of his round was a hole-in-one at the par-3 third hole (4-hybrid from 219 yards). This will go in the books as his fourth career ace on the PGA TOUR and first since the 2020 WM Phoenix Open. The Wake Forest product is currently three shots off the early pace and will turn his attention toward the host course (Seaside) for the remainder of the week.

Twenty-four of 78 players from the afternoon wave got to scoring prior to the horn, leaving 54 stranded. However, after the suspension and with players being removed from the course, three competitors decided to call it a day, including past champ and World No. 74 Webb Simpson. Simpson, the all-time earnings leader at the Wyndham with nine top 10s in 13 prior visits, five of those top 3s, was 1-over thru 17 holes, 2-over total, and three shy of the current cut line with one hole to play. This is his third mid-tourney WD in 337 events, first since the 2017-18 RSM Classic, and is projected to drop seven places from 117th to 124th in the FedExCup standings. Since joining the PGA TOUR in 2009, the North Carolinian, who turns 37 years of age this Monday (Aug. 8th), has never missed the FEC Playoffs, so although he’s left the building, he’ll be paying close attention to the standings over the weekend. Others to WD were Brandon Hagy, who was 2-over thru 14 and 5-over total, and defending champ Kevin Kisner, who was 3-over thru 17 and 6-over total. Kisner and Simpson were in a 3-ball with Presidents Cup captain Davis Love III (3-over total), so when play resumes, and if he doesn’t WD, DL3 will be hitting his tee ball at the par-4 18th as a solo.

Simpson infamously named one of his daughters Wyndham after this event which is the site of his maiden PGA TOUR win (2011). He’s posted top 10s in 9-of-13 previous trips to Sedgefield Country Club. Simpson opened with rounds of 67 or better in all nine of those big finishes. Of course, he did open with a similar 1-over 71 in the 2013 edition which he’d rebound to record an 11th-place finish by week’s end. “I’m in the midst of I feel like playing some frustrating golf, but I really feel like I’m very close. I know you guys hear us say that a lot, a lot of times I think people, myself included, we say it and we don’t really mean it, but I really do mean it.” Simpson struggled with some early-season injuries and now he’s struggling to find consistency. Some good play may be just around the corner, though, so don’t write him off just yet.

“When I first heard the news, it was something I was hoping for,” the 36-year-old Simpson told media on Tuesday at Sedgefield CC. “…I had the privilege of making three Presidents Cup teams and three Ryder Cup teams, and I’ve learned to understand the importance of captains and assistant captains and what they do -- not just the week of the event, but how much work they put in leading up to the event, how many conversations they have and how much data they’re looking at.” But he admits he’s still got his sights set on making the team as a playing member, which continues with his performance this week in Greensboro, where he’s made 12 cuts with nine top 10s. Simpson won the Wyndham in 2011, was runner-up in 2018 and 2019, and was third in 2017 and T-3 in 2020. In 2011, he finished at 18-under 262 to beat George McNeill by three strokes. It was his first PGA Tour victory, and in 2014 he named his third child Wyndham Rose after the tournament. Last year, Simpson was T-7 for his fifth straight top 10 in the event.

Simpson started his morning on the 10th tee and needed a 14'8" putt to drop on 11 to save par. That must have settled him down and the rest of the round was much more stress-free. Four of his six birdies were kicked in from inside of six feet. “Overall just really solid, didn’t give myself too many putts where I’m sweating over them for par. Super happy with the work I put in last week on my week off and yeah, right where I want to be after round one.” Simpson has missed the cut in three of his last four starts but is feeling good about his game and now gets to play a couple of Donald Ross designs in back-to-back weeks to end the regular season.

The 36-year-old arrived off a T13 at last week’s Travelers, where he was T5 after 18 holes (64-69-66-71) and was one of five players to record multiple bogey-free rounds (R1/R3). This week, he’s the top-ranked OWGRer in the field at No. 58, was a pre-tourney 12/1 fave outright at PointsBet, and got it to 2-under thru 17 holes (6 birdies, 4 bogeys) before walking off with 6 (watered second from fairway bunker) at the difficult, par-4 18th. At last check, the Wake Forest alum lost 0.320 SG: Tee-to-Green and gained 0.637 on-the-green with 29 total putts, lifted by a birdie bomb at 9 from 56'1". This is his fourth Deere, first since a best of T21 in 2010 during his second TOUR season, where he was T8 at the midpoint (67-66-70-70).