Tag: 2021 WGC Workday Championship

Brooks Koepka keeps things simple in long-awaited return to Florida, in contention at WGC-Workday Championship

Brooks Koepka kept things simple in his long-awaited return to Florida and finds himself in contention at the WGC-Workday Championship.

BRADENTON, Fla. – After nearly 30 days on the road, Brooks Koepka couldn’t wait to kiss the ground of the Sunshine State and get home.

His abundant joy was evident in Thursday’s first round of the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession.

Koepka, a winner earlier this year in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, made 112 feet of putts and posted just one bogey in a 5-under-par 67 to stand one shot out of the lead.

The four-time major champion and former world No. 1 did his good work despite seeing the course for the first time during his 9-hole pro-am round on Wednesday. He saw the back nine for the first time Thursday morning when he opened his day’s play on the 10th.

WGC-Workday: Leaderboard | Photos

“I mean, Rick (Elliott, his caddie) walked it, I get a yardage book, it’s not too difficult,” said Koepka, ranked No. 12 in the world. “I don’t think anything of it. It is what it is. You’ve got to look up on the tee, you know on 10 water’s right, there’s bunkers on the left, so put it in the fairway.

“I don’t think too much. I just try to keep it pretty simple. If it’s 300 yards to the bunker or there’s a bunker that cuts out, OK, then it’s just 3‑wood. I try to make it very simple and I don’t overcomplicate it. I’m not thinking the club’s got to be in a certain position to do this, do that; just get up there, see it and go hit it.”

Only five players in the field had played a tournament at The Concession before this week – in the 2015 NCAAs, the individual title won by Bryson DeChambeau. But that lack of experience didn’t provide much of an obstacle.

Forty-three of the 72 players in the field matched or broke par, led by pace-setters Webb Simpson and Matthew Fitzpatrick, both who signed for a 66. Joining Koepka one shot back were Sergio Garcia, Kevin Kisner and Billy Horschel. At 68 were defending champion Patrick Reed, world No. 2 Jon Rahm and Tony Finau.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, however, shot 77, Matthew Wolff 83.

DeChambeau also shot 77.

Simpson, who saw the course for the first time Tuesday, played much longer practice rounds with his caddie, Paul Tesori, by his side to plot out the course and draw up a blueprint. They spent most of the time on and around the greens.

“Probably an extra question or two or conversation or two per hole,” Simpson said. “The course is fantastic. It’s firm. I was hoping it would get firm and fast. It takes that lengthy scorecard down a little bit. Very pleased with the start. I worked on a couple things last week with putting alignment and with my driver and I saw good things from that today.

“And made a lot of putts today, so that was a good feeling.”

So, too, did Koepka, who is healthy again after a yearlong battle with hip and knee injuries. He was ecstatic to get back on Bermuda greens. Interestingly, his lone bogey came on a three-putt from 15 feet. Other than that, his putter was a weapon.

“Stupid three‑putt,” Koepka said. “But other than that, I’ve been striking the ball so well. I love these new irons. The flight on them, it’s a little higher and just I’m striking the ball so well, so I expect to be there on Sunday.

“I don’t know if it’s just a couple of the changes I’ve made in putting, just a couple adjustments or it’s just the fact of being on Bermuda, it could be either one, I’m not quite sure, but it does feel nice to be on Bermuda, that’s for sure.

“I’m excited to be in Florida.”

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WGC-Workday Championship: Webb Simpson conceding nothing this week, tied for lead with 66

Webb Simpson carded seven birdies to tie Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick for the first-round lead at the WGC-Workday Championship in Florida.

Webb Simpson isn’t conceding anything this week at the WGC-Workday Championship.

The 35-year-old former U.S. Open champion carded seven birdies, including three in a row over the final four holes, to shoot an opening-round 6-under 66 at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.

The field of 72 at this week’s World Golf Championship event relocated from Mexico to Florida this year due to the global pandemic. The layout, co-designed by World Golf Hall of Famers Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin, is named in tribute to one of the game’s most famous sportsmanlike gestures. At the 1969 Ryder Cup, Nicklaus picked up Jacklin’s marker to concede an 18-inch putt at the last hole with their match on the line. The result meant the biennial competition between the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland (at the time) ended in a tie with the U.S. retaining the Cup.

When Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was asked what current American player would be most likely to follow in the footsteps of Nicklaus and his magnanimous gesture, McIlroy didn’t have to think long before responding: “Most likely, Webb Simpson.”

On Thursday, Simpson continued to play his brand of precision golf that has lifted him to No. 9 in the world. Simpson was deadly as usual in his approach game. He ranked fourth in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and third in Strokes Gained: Approach to the Green.

“The course is fantastic. It’s firm. I was hoping it would get firm and fast. It takes that lengthy scorecard down a little bit. Very pleased with the start,” he said.

Simpson didn’t see the golf course until Tuesday, but it didn’t seem to pose a problem for him on Thursday.

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“We were a little slow in our practice rounds, there was more to talk about, more conversation,” said Simpson of prep work with caddie Paul Tesori. “We do have a system of how we plot golf courses and so we still did that the same way we always do, we just took our time a little more and tried to be a little more observant on the greens and around the greens.”

Simpson made three birdies on the front nine as well as his lone bogey, at the par-4 fifth. After a birdie at the 10th, he heated up late in the day, sticking a wedge inside 3 feet at 15 for birdie, sinking a 32-foot birdie putt at 16, and getting down in two putts from 47 feet at the par-5 17th for one more circle on the card.

Simpson was tied for the lead with Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick, and one stroke better than Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka, who did most of his damage on the front nine after starting at No. 10.

Simpson has complained that a tough winter back home in Charlotte has made it difficult to practice outdoors, but after skipping the last two tournaments he was able to put in the necessary work and it made all the difference.

“I worked on a couple things last week with putting alignment and with my driver and I saw good things from that today,” he said. “You always want to see it first round back, but it doesn’t always happen that way, so I was happy to see like tough tee shots with trouble, really stepping up and making good swings. And made a lot of putts today, so that was a good feeling.”

Simpson’s game has been sharp enough to make 13 straight cuts, and he’s racked up five top-10 finishes during that stretch. The only thing slowing him down ever so slightly was testing positive for COVID-19 late last year.

“My taste is like 75 percent back. That was definitely a lot worse than I anticipated, not being able to taste food,” Simpson said last month.

COVID did force him to make one concession, the joy of his morning Joe.

“I just missed being able to smell and taste my coffee in the morning,” he said. “Now that it’s coming back, I have a greater appreciation for it.”

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