Webb Simpson
Encyclopedia
James Frederick "Webb" Simpson (born August 8, 1985) is an American
professional golfer
who plays on the PGA Tour
.
. He played high school golf at Broughton High before his collegiate golf career at Wake Forest University
. He was a three-time All-American and the ACC
Player of the Year in 2008. He won several prestigious amateur tournaments. He played on the victorious 2007 Walker Cup
team and the 2007 Palmer Cup
team.
and Nationwide Tour
on sponsor's exemptions. He recorded two runner-up finishes on the Nationwide Tour. He then competed in the PGA Tour's qualifying school
and finished T7
to earn his Tour card for 2009. He had a successful start to his rookie year with a 5th place finish at the Bob Hope Classic and a 9th place finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii
. He ended the season with four top 10 finishes and comfortably retained his tour card ranked 70th on the money list.
Simpson had a chance to win his first PGA Tour title at the 2011 Transitions Championship but bogeyed the final hole, missing out by one stroke to Gary Woodland
. Simpson then came even closer to his first career PGA Tour title when he lost out in a playoff to Bubba Watson
at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans
. The two players were tied at 15 under par after the full 72 holes. However at the 15th hole Simpson had incurred a one stroke penalty when his ball moved fractionally while he was addressing the ball. This meant that Watson could tie with Simpson to take the tournament into a playoff. Both players made a birdie on the first extra hole, the 18th, with Watson holing a clutch 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. Simpson won his first PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, his home state, on August 21, 2011. Simpson won the championship by three strokes from George McNeill
, carding a final round of 67, which included three birdies and no bogeys. After achieving his first victory so close to home, Simpson said "I really couldn't think of a better place to win than here in Greensboro. That was probably the most fun 18 holes I've ever been a part of." As a result of this victory, one week before the season ending FedEx Cup
playoffs, Simpson jumped to third in the overall standings.
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 by one and when Reavie bogeyed the 18th and they went into a playoff replaying the 18th hole. Simpson made another 12-foot birdie putt to stay alive whilst Reavie had knocked it stone dead for 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 moved to first in the FedEx Cup standings for the first time in his career.
Simpson was also in contention at the third FedEx Cup playoff event, the BMW Championship, before scores of 73-71 on the weekend spoiled his chances of another win. He did however maintain the lead of the FedEx Cup standings going into the final playoff event at the Tour Championship. Simpson knew that if he won the tournament at East Lake he would become the FedEx Cup champion. However Simpson looked physically and mentally tired due to the exertions of the previous few weeks and finished in 22nd place in the field of 30 players. This allowed Bill Haas
, who won the Tour Championship, to finish top of the standings by a narrow 15 points from Simpson in second place.
Simpson came close to picking up his third victory of the year at the McGladrey Classic
in October but lost to Ben Crane
in a playoff. Simpson missed a short three footer for par on the second extra hole to lose out to Crane. The runner-up finish however propelled him to number one on the money list, overtaking Luke Donald
with one week remaining. However Donald won the final event of the season, and Simpson finished second on the 2011 PGA Tour money list.
At the end of the qualification series, Simpson qualified for the 2011 Presidents Cup
team for the first time in his career. He finished 4th in the points standings.
PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
* As of the 2011 season.
Professional
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who plays on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
.
Amateur career
Simpson was born in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. He played high school golf at Broughton High before his collegiate golf career at Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
. He was a three-time All-American and the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Player of the Year in 2008. He won several prestigious amateur tournaments. He played on the victorious 2007 Walker Cup
2007 Walker Cup
The 41st Walker Cup Match was held between September 8 and September 9, 2007 at the Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland. Team United States won 12½ to 11½. The United States won by the same score in 2005.-Format:...
team and the 2007 Palmer Cup
Palmer Cup
The Palmer Cup is an annual eight man team golf competition between American college golfers and European college/university golfers. It is named after Arnold Palmer. The teams are selected on the basis of nationality, not according to the location of the players' universities...
team.
Professional career
After turning professional in June 2008, Simpson played on the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
on sponsor's exemptions. He recorded two runner-up finishes on the Nationwide Tour. He then competed in the PGA Tour's qualifying school
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
and finished T7
2008 PGA Tour Qualifying School Graduates
This is a list of the 28 players who earned their 2009 PGA Tour card through Q School in 2008.*Players in yellow are 2009 PGA Tour rookies.-2009 Results:T = Tied...
to earn his Tour card for 2009. He had a successful start to his rookie year with a 5th place finish at the Bob Hope Classic and a 9th place finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii
Sony Open in Hawaii
The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian Open in 1965. Starting in 1971, the tournament was held...
. He ended the season with four top 10 finishes and comfortably retained his tour card ranked 70th on the money list.
Simpson had a chance to win his first PGA Tour title at the 2011 Transitions Championship but bogeyed the final hole, missing out by one stroke to Gary Woodland
Gary Woodland
-Early life:Woodland was born in Topeka, Kansas, and attended Shawnee Heights High School in the suburb of Tecumseh. After high school, he attended Washburn University on a basketball scholarship, but left after his freshman year to take up a golf scholarship at University of Kansas...
. Simpson then came even closer to his first career PGA Tour title when he lost out in a playoff to Bubba Watson
Bubba Watson
Gerry "Bubba" Watson is an American professional golfer. Watson is one of the few left-handed golfers on tour and is known for his tremendous length. The longest driver on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he had an average drive of 315.2 yards and is capable of generating a ball speed of 194 mph, being...
at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in New Orleans, Louisiana; its historic date has been in April, but was moved to March in 2008. Zurich Financial Services is the main sponsor of the tournament.From the event's inception through...
. The two players were tied at 15 under par after the full 72 holes. However at the 15th hole Simpson had incurred a one stroke penalty when his ball moved fractionally while he was addressing the ball. This meant that Watson could tie with Simpson to take the tournament into a playoff. Both players made a birdie on the first extra hole, the 18th, with Watson holing a clutch 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. Simpson won his first PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, his home state, on August 21, 2011. Simpson won the championship by three strokes from George McNeill
George McNeill
George William McNeill, Jr. is an American professional golfer.McNeill was born and raised in Naples, Florida. He attended Florida State University, where he was a member of the golf team. He was an All-ACC and All-America selection in 1997 and 1998.McNeill is currently a member of the PGA Tour...
, carding a final round of 67, which included three birdies and no bogeys. After achieving his first victory so close to home, Simpson said "I really couldn't think of a better place to win than here in Greensboro. That was probably the most fun 18 holes I've ever been a part of." As a result of this victory, one week before the season ending FedEx Cup
FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007 after a NASCAR-like points race. Bill Haas is the current champion...
playoffs, Simpson jumped to third in the overall standings.
Simpson won his second tournament of the 2011 PGA Tour
2011 PGA Tour
The 2011 PGA Tour, the 44th season since the Tour became independent from the PGA of America, will consist of a total of 49 sanctioned events running from early January to late November...
season and of his career, at the second FedEx Cup playoff event, the Deutsche Bank Championship
Deutsche Bank Championship
The Deutsche Bank Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held annually over the Labor Day weekend. The tournament made its debut in 2003 and is held at the Tournament Players Club of Boston in Norton, Massachusetts...
. He beat Chez Reavie
Chez Reavie
William Chesney "Chez" Reavie is an American professional golfer.Reavie was born in Wichita, Kansas. He played collegiately at Arizona State University....
in a sudden death playoff. Simpson made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to cut Reavie's lead by one and when Reavie bogeyed the 18th and they went into a playoff replaying the 18th hole. Simpson made another 12-foot birdie putt to stay alive whilst Reavie had knocked it stone dead for 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 moved to first in the FedEx Cup standings for the first time in his career.
Simpson was also in contention at the third FedEx Cup playoff event, the BMW Championship, before scores of 73-71 on the weekend spoiled his chances of another win. He did however maintain the lead of the FedEx Cup standings going into the final playoff event at the Tour Championship. Simpson knew that if he won the tournament at East Lake he would become the FedEx Cup champion. However Simpson looked physically and mentally tired due to the exertions of the previous few weeks and finished in 22nd place in the field of 30 players. This allowed Bill Haas
Bill Haas
William Harlan Haas is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and won the 2011 FedEx Cup. He is the son of former PGA Tour player Jay Haas.-Early life:...
, who won the Tour Championship, to finish top of the standings by a narrow 15 points from Simpson in second place.
Simpson came close to picking up his third victory of the year at the McGladrey Classic
McGladrey Classic
The McGladrey Classic is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour named for its main sponsor, McGladrey, an accounting, tax and business consulting firm. It had its first playing in October 2010 in St. Simons Island, Georgia at the Sea Island Seaside Golf Club...
in October but lost to Ben Crane
Ben Crane
Benjamin McCully Crane is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Crane was born in Portland, Oregon. He was age 5 when his grandfather taught him how to play golf, and he grew up playing at the nearby Portland Golf Club where Ben Hogan won the 1945 Portland Open...
in a playoff. Simpson missed a short three footer for par on the second extra hole to lose out to Crane. The runner-up finish however propelled him to number one on the money list, overtaking Luke Donald
Luke Donald
Luke Campbell Donald is an English professional golfer who is the current World Number One. He plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006 he reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. In January 2007, he...
with one week remaining. However Donald won the final event of the season, and Simpson finished second on the 2011 PGA Tour money list.
At the end of the qualification series, Simpson qualified for the 2011 Presidents Cup
2011 Presidents Cup
United States 19 - International 15The 9th Presidents Cup Matches were held from 17 to 20 November 2011. They were played at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. The United States team won by a score of 19 to 15 over the International team. Jim Furyk won all five of his...
team for the first time in his career. He finished 4th in the points standings.
Amateur wins (6)
- 2004 Azalea InvitationalAzalea InvitationalThe Azalea Invitational is an annual amateur golf tournament. It has been played since 1946 at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina.-Winners:*2011 Cheng-Tsung Pan*2010 Tyson Alexander*2009 Tyson Alexander*2008 Zack Sucher...
- 2005 Southern AmateurSouthern AmateurThe Southern Amateur is an amateur golf tournament. It has been played since 1902 and is organized by the Southern Golf Association. From1902 to 1963, it was played at match play...
- 2006 Sunnehanna AmateurSunnehanna AmateurThe Sunnehanna Amateur, officially the Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions, is a men's amateur golf tournament. Founded in 1954, it is hosted annually at the Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States...
- 2007 Dogwood InvitationalDogwood InvitationalThe Dogwood Invitational is a top ten men's amateur golf tournament. Founded in 1941, it is hosted annually at the Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.-Winners:*2011 Nate McCoy*2010 Andrew Yun*2009 Brian Harman*2008 Rory Hie*2007 Webb Simpson^...
, Southern AmateurSouthern AmateurThe Southern Amateur is an amateur golf tournament. It has been played since 1902 and is organized by the Southern Golf Association. From1902 to 1963, it was played at match play...
, Azalea InvitationalAzalea InvitationalThe Azalea Invitational is an annual amateur golf tournament. It has been played since 1946 at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina.-Winners:*2011 Cheng-Tsung Pan*2010 Tyson Alexander*2009 Tyson Alexander*2008 Zack Sucher...
PGA Tour wins (2)
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 21, 2011 2011 PGA Tour The 2011 PGA Tour, the 44th season since the Tour became independent from the PGA of America, will consist of a total of 49 sanctioned events running from early January to late November... |
Wyndham Championship | 3 strokes |  George McNeillGeorge McNeill George William McNeill, Jr. is an American professional golfer.McNeill was born and raised in Naples, Florida. He attended Florida State University, where he was a member of the golf team. He was an All-ACC and All-America selection in 1997 and 1998.McNeill is currently a member of the PGA Tour... |
|
| 2 | Sep 5, 2011 2011 PGA Tour The 2011 PGA Tour, the 44th season since the Tour became independent from the PGA of America, will consist of a total of 49 sanctioned events running from early January to late November... |
Deutsche Bank Championship Deutsche Bank Championship The Deutsche Bank Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held annually over the Labor Day weekend. The tournament made its debut in 2003 and is held at the Tournament Players Club of Boston in Norton, Massachusetts... |
Playoff | Chez Reavie Chez Reavie William Chesney "Chez" Reavie is an American professional golfer.Reavie was born in Wichita, Kansas. He played collegiately at Arizona State University.... |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | Zurich Classic of New Orleans Zurich Classic of New Orleans The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in New Orleans, Louisiana; its historic date has been in April, but was moved to March in 2008. Zurich Financial Services is the main sponsor of the tournament.From the event's inception through... |
Bubba Watson Bubba Watson Gerry "Bubba" Watson is an American professional golfer. Watson is one of the few left-handed golfers on tour and is known for his tremendous length. The longest driver on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he had an average drive of 315.2 yards and is capable of generating a ball speed of 194 mph, being... |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 2 | 2011 | Deutsche Bank Championship Deutsche Bank Championship The Deutsche Bank Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held annually over the Labor Day weekend. The tournament made its debut in 2003 and is held at the Tournament Players Club of Boston in Norton, Massachusetts... |
Chez Reavie Chez Reavie William Chesney "Chez" Reavie is an American professional golfer.Reavie was born in Wichita, Kansas. He played collegiately at Arizona State University.... |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2011 | McGladrey Classic McGladrey Classic The McGladrey Classic is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour named for its main sponsor, McGladrey, an accounting, tax and business consulting firm. It had its first playing in October 2010 in St. Simons Island, Georgia at the Sea Island Seaside Golf Club... |
Ben Crane Ben Crane Benjamin McCully Crane is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Crane was born in Portland, Oregon. He was age 5 when his grandfather taught him how to play golf, and he grew up playing at the nearby Portland Golf Club where Ben Hogan won the 1945 Portland Open... |
Lost to par on second extra hole |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2011 |
|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T14 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T16 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
CUT |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
PGA Tour career summary
| Year | Starts | Cuts made | Wins | Top 10 | Top 25 | Earnings ($) | Money list rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38,460 | 250 |
| 2009 | 30 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1,249,674 | 70 |
| 2010 | 31 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 972,962 | 94 |
| 2011 | 26 | 23 | 2 | 12 | 21 | 6,347,353 | 2 |
| Career* | 94 | 61 | 2 | 18 | 36 | 8,608,449 | 143 |
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur- Walker CupWalker CupThe Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
: 20072007 Walker CupThe 41st Walker Cup Match was held between September 8 and September 9, 2007 at the Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland. Team United States won 12½ to 11½. The United States won by the same score in 2005.-Format:...
(winners) - Palmer CupPalmer CupThe Palmer Cup is an annual eight man team golf competition between American college golfers and European college/university golfers. It is named after Arnold Palmer. The teams are selected on the basis of nationality, not according to the location of the players' universities...
: 2007 (winners)
Professional
- Presidents CupPresidents CupThe Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
: 20112011 Presidents CupUnited States 19 - International 15The 9th Presidents Cup Matches were held from 17 to 20 November 2011. They were played at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. The United States team won by a score of 19 to 15 over the International team. Jim Furyk won all five of his...
(winners)