Tag: Webb Simpson

‘I’m starting to have confidence again’: Webb Simpson breaks down his ace and his switch to instructor Cameron McCormick

“I’m finally on the right track. I’m healthy…I’m starting to have confidence again.”

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Webb Simpson isn’t embarrassed that he carries hybrids in his bag.

“I do love my hybrids,” he said. “My 3-iron hybrid’s been with me since 2013 and this 4-hybrid’s been with me now since 2016.”

The latter was the pick from 219 yards at the par-3 third hole at the Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort on Thursday.

“I don’t like left-to-right winds with my hybrids or woods, but it was a left-to-right wind and the 4-hybrid was only enough club if I hit it really low,” Simpson explained. “It was one of those where I had a little too much face rotation in a good way and it overdrew, so yeah, perfect club.”

RSM Classic: Watch PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ | Friday tee times

Perfect, indeed. Simpson’s ball bounced once and circled the cup for a hole-in-one, his fourth career ace on the PGA Tour.

“My target was about 15 feet right of the hole there, so I did pull it, but I did hit it good enough to where I knew it would cover on that line,” he said. “Yeah, it was a great moment, great memory.”

The one on the card propelled him to a 5-under 67 in the opening round of the RSM Classic, his 34th round in the 60s in 39 career rounds in the event. Simpson has feasted at the RSM, recording five top-10 finishes in 10 previous starts, including a pair of seconds and a third.

Simpson, who has plummeted to No. 111 in the world and hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish since last year’s RSM Classic, recently parted ways with instructor Butch Harmon and started working with Cameron McCormick, who is best known for his work with Jordan Spieth. Of moving on from Harmon, who helped Simpson reach new heights in 2020, Simpson said, “It was so hard to get to him, you know, for just one lesson and make it back to Charlotte.”

Simpson has had three lessons from McCormick, including a day shortly before the CJ Cup last month.

When asked to explain what has held him back, he said, “I think I’m going to blame myself for a couple years there I tried to hit the ball so much further that I got into a number of bad habits that it was hard to see because it happens incrementally over time. But Cameron, he pulled out a bunch of swings from 2011 and 2020 and showed those similarities, so we’re just trying to get it back to where that was.”

Simpson added: “I’m finally on the right track. I’m healthy, I feel like what I’m working on is simple for me and I’m starting to have confidence again. You know, I didn’t have that much confidence last year. It’s hard to create confidence out of nothing. I’d work on my game and I just wasn’t quite getting over the hump, but I feel like the last five, six weeks since I’ve been home, my practice sessions are different and they’re reminding me of what it used to feel like and the shots I’m hitting, the way I’m striking the golf ball. So I’m optimistic. I feel like, I’m 37, I still have a number of years of good golf in me.”

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Presidents Cup: Why players love Fred Couples, Internationals to watch and more

If anyone knows about chirping and jabbing players, it’s Fred Couples, a three-time Presidents Cup captain.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There’s no denying the Americans have the advantage on paper at the 2022 Presidents Cup.

All 12 players on Davis Love III’s U.S. squad rank inside the top 25 in the world, with five inside the top 10. Only five International players rank inside the top 30. The Americans have five rookies, but two have played in the Ryder Cup.

The Americans aren’t afraid to tell you just how good they are, too.

“I mean, they don’t miss many shots, and they have a good time doing it,” said assistant captain Fred Couples, “and they like to show off a little bit and chirp.”

If anyone knows about chirping and jabbing players, it’s Couples, the three-time Presidents Cup captain who’s now in his fourth stint as a captain’s assistant.

“So he’s a great guy to have in the team room. He’s very calm, relaxed, rubs off on everybody,” Steve Stricker said of Couples. “And he’s not afraid to jab people, have fun with people, but when it comes time to be serious, he’s right there to be serious and, like I said, to provide that knowledge and that insight that he has.”

“Inside the team room, it may seem like he’s got this really easygoing, simplistic view, but it’s extremely cerebral. There’s a lot of thought, and he puts a lot into it. He’s invested. You just want to be around that,” added Zach Johnson, a two-time captain’s assistant who’s preparing for his Ryder Cup captaincy in 2023. “Then I like that he chirps. He gets on these kids. He’s not going to let them get on him or get complacent. He’s going to get after ’em, and that’s what you want in a leader.

“He’s been one of my favorite guys that I’ve ever had to play for, period.”

The love for Boom Boom Couples wasn’t the only thing discussed on the last day of practice rounds before Thursday’s foursomes matches. From the International challenge ahead to some fun players to watch, here are some highlights from a busy day of press conferences ahead of the 2022 Presidents Cup.

The International challenge

“The challenge is, I don’t know, we’ve got to win 15 ½ points against a really good team,” said assistant captain Geoff Ogilvy. “(Ernie Els) did an unbelievable job last time. I think we got a little bit of momentum out of it. We’ve got eight new players, maybe more, this week coming out here.

“It’s a perfect year, I think, for a really sort of fresh young team. Everyone is super excited.”

Let’s not glance over the, “maybe more” than eight new players comment. The rosters are set, but don’t be surprised to see some guys come out and support their respective teams this week. Immelman said on an episode of the No Laying Up podcast that Mackenzie Hughes, who lives in Charlotte, has been calling him and asking for tickets so he can come watch and spend time with the team. Will Zalatoris, who would have played for the U.S. team if he wasn’t injured, was seen on the grounds during Wednesday’s practice round.

While this event still somewhat lives in the shadow of the Ryder Cup and has struggled to find its identity, it still clearly means a lot to the players.

Speaking of identity … what steps forward have the Internationals taken since 2019?

“Look, I think the shield, I think, is pretty important. I think it was often hard for us to sort of have an identity,” Ogilvy explained, “bringing so many different cultures together in the same place.”

“The first year (2019) was great. This is the second time. It’s more and more recognizable. People are starting to buy the merch. Kids growing up in the world look at that and think, ‘I want that on my shirt one day,’ and that’s really powerful,” he added. “You might underestimate that, but that’s a really powerful thing. We represent the rest of the world. That’s a lot of people.”

“More than anything, he’s given this team an identity and given international kids something to aspire to.”

Simpson’s Quail Hollow knowledge doesn’t go as far as you think

“I don’t have a whole lot to offer to these guys in terms of course knowledge,” said Webb Simpson, an assistant captain for the U.S. and member at Quail Hollow. “One, most of the guys have been here and know it. And I’m telling you, these caddies, they know what they’re doing. We get to greens, they’re putting the holes down exactly where I would have put them, and they’re telling players to hit this putt and this chip.”

2022 Presidents Cup
Team USA poses for a team photo with US soccer jerseys during a Wednesday practice day for the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports)

“More than anything, I’ve been a flag holder and a raker the last few days. But whatever they need from me, I’ll give it to them. I won’t hold back.”

Kim is stealing the show behind the scenes

Everybody has something nice to say about International rookie Tom Kim. The 20-year-old South Korean is coming off a breakout season on the PGA Tour that featured 10 made cuts in 11 starts with six top-25 finishes and a win at last month’s Wyndham Championship. Off the course, his sense of humor and youthful exuberance has been the catalyst for the good vibes in the International team room.

“We’re on 12 today, and (Tom) makes a mistake doing simple math there,” explained assistant captain Camilo Villegas. “So I look at the kid and said, ‘Tom, is that a college math?’ He looks at me and goes, ‘Dude, I didn’t even graduate from high school.’”

Keep an eye on Pendrith

“I think people are going to come to know Taylor Pendrith this week and going forward. Very impressed with his game,” said Canadian golf legend and assistant captain Mike Weir. “I think you guys all know how long he is, and that’s what’s talked about. He has a good, well-rounded game. Watching him hit iron shots, pitching, putting, he’s a very good player.

“You could put him on the range against anybody, and you would be like, ‘Is that guy the No. 1 player in the world or going to be?’ It’s that impressive. So excited that he’s on the team.”

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2022 Presidents Cup: Assistant captains for U.S. include a former Ryder Cup captain, a future Ryder Cup captain and a newcomer

Davis Love III, captain of the 2022 Presidents Cup, has an experienced group of assistants but also a newcomer.

An eight-time Presidents Cup participant. A former Ryder Cup captain. A future Ryder Cup captain. And a first-timer assistant.

Davis Love III, the captain of the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in his home state of North Carolina, has an experienced group of assistants but also a newcomer getting his first taste of international competition as an assistant.

The biennial competition is Sept. 22-25 and pits a 12-man U.S. squad against a 12-man international team (minus the European nations). The Americans lead the all-time series 11-1-1 and has never lost when the matches are staged in the U.S.

Here’s a look at the four U.S. assistant captains:

2022 Fortinet Championship: Presidents Cup golfers who made, missed the cut in Napa

Some players didn’t do too well in the Presidents Cup tune up.

If the PGA Tour’s season-opening Fortinet Championship is foreshadowing anything, next week could be rough for the International team at the Presidents Cup.

The United States is heavily favored at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte in an event it has lost only once in its history. The International team, which features plenty of talent but a lot of newcomers after the losses of Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann, among others, to the LIV Golf Series, would pull off a huge upset if it were to find a way to be victorious.

Yet members of the International team struggled at Silverado Resort’s North Course while the lone U.S. member sits in the lead.

Fortinet: PGA Tour on ESPN+ | Leaderboard

Max Homa, the defending champion, is tied for the lead at 12 under. The other U.S. connection is assistant captain Webb Simpson, who is a member at Quail Hollow. He missed the cut, which was at 2 under, after rounds of 70-74 put him at even par.

For the Internationals, Cam Davis and Corey Conners can head east early. Davis, from Austrailia, shot 2 under in the second round, but a 74 on Thursday had him in an early hole. Conners, a Canadian who has one PGA Tour victory, birdied four of his last five holes on the front nine to make the turn at 3 under for the day and 5 under for the tournament, but he had two bogeys, a triple bogey and no birdies on the back nine to miss the cut.

Hideki Matsuyama was below the cut line with only three holes to play, but he birdied Nos. 16 and 18 to make the cut at 3 under.  Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, has the second-most experience among International Presidents Cup members, trailing only Adam Scott on this year’s team.

Taylor Pendrith, the 31-year-old Canadian making his first Presidents Cup appearance, made the cut. He was on the number until a birdie on the 18th, moving him to 3 under for the tournament.

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What will the PGA Tour’s fall events look like in 2023? No one seems to know

“We’re picking from the bottom of the barrel. It doesn’t actually make our product better. It makes it worse.”

NAPA, Calif. – Thanks to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy (and Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson to some extent), change is coming to the PGA Tour.

While the best players have agreed to play against one another in a minimum of 20 events between January and August starting in 2024, the Tour’s nine official fall events are about to receive a demotion, beginning in 2023.

The top 70 in the FedEx Cup regular season points race will qualify for the playoffs and retain their cards for the next season. Numbers 71-125? They will have to duke it out during the fall to retain their playing privileges in what will essentially become eligibility events. Without FedEx Cup points at stake or any punishment for not playing during the fall, the top players have been given the option of an extended vacation from September through December. It’s the off-season some of them have long been asking for, but PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and his business development team have their work cut out explaining to title sponsors why fields will be watered down.

“The Tour knows this isn’t awesome for the sponsors of the fall events to tell them that the guys who finish top 70 don’t have to play your events and probably won’t,” said Tour veteran Peter Malnati, co-chairmen of the Player Advisory Council. “They say they are going to make them stronger and I’m just taking them at their word for now.”

Malnati said he spoke to Monahan at the RBC Heritage.

“He looked me right in the eyes and said these events are going to be stronger,” Malnati said.

Fall events have always been the red-headed stepchildren, airing exclusively on Golf Channel during a time of year when college football and the NFL rule the roost. That’s baked into the sponsorship price. But current sponsors, such as Fortinet, which this week drew five of the top 30 that made it to the Tour Championship including Hideki Matsuyama, have to be wondering whether that will ever happen again. What is the future of the fall events?

“I had that same question myself,” said Stewart Cink, a former PGA Tour policy board member. “It’s hard for them to thrive if they’re not getting top players. We’ve been down this road before. There’s a reason we went to the wrap-around schedule.”

A veteran Tour pro, who asked for anonymity, didn’t mince words, saying that the fall events are going to become a glorified Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

“The Tour’s top question to us is always would you rather not have an event? It’s a pretty fair question now because it might not be a good idea to have an event,” he said. “Some events are going to go so far down the (player priority) list that it’s going to be embarrassing. We’re picking from the bottom of the barrel. It doesn’t actually make our product better. It makes it worse.”

Webb Simpson, the other co-chairmen of the PAC, also expressed concern that the number of fall events could be impacted.

“I don’t know how far the Tour is going to go with the plan that Tiger and Rory proposed. I just don’t know. I hope they don’t go away,” he said of the fall events. “I love the opportunities to play.”

How many of the nine fall events would he likely play next year if he were to finish in the top 70?

“Probably two or three,” he said. “I don’t want to take four months off after Atlanta, not everybody does. Playing two or three still feels like downtime.”

One tournament director, who asked for anonymity, said purses likely will flatline and expected more tournaments to follow the RBC and Zurich model of signing top-ranked players as ambassadors in which part of the deal will require tournament participation.

“What I don’t want to see is us lose title sponsors. If we start to lose titles in certain cities, LIV is going to go in behind them,” said the tournament director, noting LIV already laid down roots in Boston, Chicago and NY/NJ metropolitan area, cities where the Tour no longer has annual events.

Both the Fortinet Championship and Cadence Bank Houston Open are rumored to be angling to move into the main portion of the schedule, but there may not be room for them. Could a Tour event jump ship to LIV?

“God, I hope not, but it could happen,” said the tournament director. “Tournaments now have another option.”

As the final year of the wraparound season kicks off, it’s worth noting that the fall events have factored into determining the FedEx Cup champion: Of the last six Cup winners, four have won a tournament in the fall portion of the season before going on to win the season-long race. (Most recently, Rory McIlroy won the CJ Cup last fall.)

Agents and their players are still waiting to understand exactly how the fall series events will work.

“I don’t think it’s a lack of transparency, I don’t think they know what they’re doing,” said an agent of multiple players. “They’re making decisions by the seat of their pants. You could ask 10 people out here from players to reps to agents what’s happening in the fall, and you’d get seven different answers. That’s not good.”

“I honestly don’t know,” said Kevin Streelman, a Tour board member from 2017-19 and who was added to the Player Advisory Council for the remained of the year in an August vote to replace a player that went to LIV Golf. “The storyline will be the top 125, but we’re going to have to do something to incentivize the top players to show up.”

Malnati is trusting that Monahan will be good to his word and that the fall events will find a way to be stronger.

“Change is never easy. It always feels difficult. A lot of times it works and it’s great but right now it’s a wait and see for me,” he said.

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Max Homa highlights group of additions to 2022 PGA Tour Player Advisory Council

The PAC is increasing from 16 members to 17 for the rest of the year.

The PGA Tour Player Advisory Council is growing for the rest of the year.

On Monday the PGA Tour announced the additions of Max Homa, Brandt Snedeker, Keith Mitchell and Kevin Streelman to the Player Advisory Council (PAC) for the remainder of 2022. Homa and Snedeker will take the vacated places held previously by Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell, who joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series. Mitchell and Streelman tied in a separate election to fill the space vacated by Paul Casey, who also joined LIV Golf, and both players have been added to the PAC, which increased from 16 to 17 members.

Streelman served as PAC co-chairman in 2016 and then served a three-year term as a Player Director on the Policy Board from 2017-19. Homa, Snedeker and Mitchell will be PAC members for the first time.

Peter Malnati and Webb Simpson will start their three-year terms as Player Directors on the PGA Tour Policy Board next year, replacing James Hahn and Kevin Kisner. Last season’s PGA Tour Player of the Year Patrick Cantlay will also join the board in the 2023.

The PAC advises and consults with the PGA Tour Policy Board and commissioner Jay Monahan on issues affecting the Tour.

2022 Player Advisory Council

Patrick Cantlay (Player Director appointee 2023)
Austin Cook
Joel Dahmen
Harry Higgs
Max Homa
Billy Horschel
Russell Knox
Justin Lower
Peter Malnati (Co-Chairman)
Maverick McNealy
Keith Mitchell
Trey Mullinax
Jon Rahm
Webb Simpson (Co-Chairman)
Brandt Snedeker
Kevin Streelman
Will Zalatoris

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World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 3 Rory McIlroy among notable names to miss cut at 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship

The leader in the FedEx Cup standings failed to earn himself weekend tee times in Memphis.

It’s time for the weekend in Memphis at the first playoff event of the 2021-22 campaign, however, several of the biggest names in golf have slammed the trunk of their rental cars (or, let’s be honest, courtesy cars) and are headed home early.

While underdogs are thriving in the humidity, the FedEx St. Jude Championship will be without several standouts over the weekend at TPC Southwind.

Rory McIlroy looked rusty, while Scottie Scheffler couldn’t get anything going on the greens.

Tony Finau, the hottest player on Earth at the moment, is continuing his dominance and is once again near the top of the leaderboard. He shot a Friday 68, his 11th consecutive round of 68 or better.

Here are six notable names who missed the cut, which came in at 2 under, at the playoff opener.

FedEx St. Jude Championship: PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ | Leaderboard

Wyndham Championship: Who’s got the weekend off and whose FedEx Cup bubble burst

These notable players missed the cut and some saw their FedEx Cup bubbles burst.

For the “Bubble Boys,” those trying to secure a berth in the 125-man field for next week’s first of three FedEx Cup playoff events, making the cut is job No. 1.

Consider it mission accomplished for the likes of Max McGreevey, No. 126 in the points standings heading into the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. McGreevey shot 67 in the second round of the regular season finale and has improved to a projected 122nd.

After finishing second at the Puerto Rico Open in March, McGreevy had made the cut in only four of his 19 starts before this week, and had missed the cut in six of his last seven events.

“I just had a lot of fun this week,” he said. “It’s been easier than it has been the last couple of weeks somehow, but just felt good, felt relaxed and feels good to finally get four rounds for a week.”

Chesson Hadley, who started the week at No. 121, made three birdies in a row en route to shooting 67, and last’s year Bubble Boy put himself in position where he might not need an ace or a final-round 62 to sneak into the FedEx Cup playoffs. He’s projected at No. 113.

Nick Taylor (71, -2) survived the cut but has slipped from No. 120 at the start of the week to a projected 125th.

Congrats to Brian Stuard, who ended a streak of 11 straight missed cuts. It couldn’t have come at a better time. He entered the week at No. 137 in the FedEx Cup point standings. He’s projected at No. 124.

Austin Smotherman, who started the week at No. 125, wasn’t so fortunate. He shot 76 in the second round to miss the cut and is projected to drop to No. 129.

Martin Trainer shot a second straight 67 and is currently projected 126th, otherwise known as the first guy out. But he still has two more rounds to improve his position and a positive attitude going into the weekend.

“I know what’s at stake, it’s no different than any other week. I mean, I think ultimately I know that I just need to do well,” he said. “Every time I play a Tour event I’m trying my best anyway, so I’ll just look at it as a curiosity, but ultimately it’s out of my control, so to speak. I’m just trying my best.”

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson also still has work to do over the weekend – projected at No. 136 – but has a chance after shooting 5-under 135.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do. Put myself in a position so I can at least make a run on the weekend,” Johnson said. “My focus is to win a golf tournament and the rest of it will take care of itself, but I’m in a position where I can do that.”

Play was suspended on Friday due to darkness with seven golfers still needing to complete the second round. Thanks to Chris Gotterup, who made bogey at 18, another 21 players will earn a paycheck this week. In all, 87 golfers from the field of 156 made the cut. It marks the most players to make the cut on Tour since the cut rule changed to low 65 and ties to start the 2019-20 season. It took a score of 1-under 139 to play the weekend, but Smotherman, who was at 1 under and faced a 12-foot birdie putt at No. 8 when play resumed on Saturday morning, isn’t one of them. He missed the putt and made double-bogey at nine, bursting his playoff bubble in the process.

Here’s a look at some of the notable players who were on the wrong side of the cutline.

Bumpy first round leaves usual contender Webb Simpson frustrated at Wyndham Championship

“I’m in the midst of playing some frustrating golf, but I really feel like I’m very close.”

GREENSBORO, N.C. — For one day at least, even the Wyndham Championship couldn’t provide refuge for Webb Simpson.

The former Wake Forest star and perhaps this tournament’s preeminent fan favorite found himself 10 shots off the tournament lead after struggling to 1-over-par 71 during Thursday’s first round at Sedgefield Country Club.

“The pins were tough, the rough is up this year,” he said, before alluding to John Huh’s career-low 61, “but it was still gettable, somebody shot 9 under. Very frustrating, but I can’t get too frustrated yet.”

Simpson won the 2011 Wyndham and nearly automatically contends here with nine finishes among the top 10 in 13 starts, including top-three finishes across three of the last four years.

But his bumpy season took another unwanted turn with Thursday’s issues, which mired him tied for 106th place in the depths of the leaderboard, and in danger of Friday’s cut line.

Wyndham Championship: PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ | Leaderboard

Simpson shot a final-round 74 and tied for 69th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic the last time he played an event. He missed the cut at the British Open and John Deere Classic prior to that, and also missed the cut at the U.S. Open in June.

He had bogeys on Nos. 11 and 15 and a double bogey on the par-4 17th hole — “ball out of bounds,” he said of No. 17 — while making three birdies during Thursday’s first round. He used “a killer” to qualify the disappointment in three-putting for bogey on the par-5 15th hole.

“I’m in the midst of playing some frustrating golf, but I really feel like I’m very close,” Simpson said. “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.

“I’m just trying to work through a couple more things that I’m working on. It’s getting better, (Wednesday) in the pro-am it was better. It’s just not quite getting into tournament golf yet.”

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5 items that Webb Simpson and his caddie bring to every tournament

5 items that Webb Simpson and his caddie bring to every tournament

Webb Simpson and Paul Tesori have one of the coolest caddie-player relationships on the PGA Tour. They both share a strong relationship with their Christian faith and get along really well on and off the course.

Tesori has been on the bag for Simpson since 2011 and loves his job. The job doesn’t only require reading greens and gathering yardages, it requires packing the duo’s favorite snacks, items and more.

Golfweek has rounded up some of the team’s favorite items that they bring every tournament week. It’s not easy being on the road all the time, but these five items make it a bit more enjoyable.