No practice rounds, no problem.
So it goes for Webb Simpson so far in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Despite not being able to play a practice round ahead of the first tournament of 2021 as he quarantined after contracting COVID-19 around Christmas, Simpson shot a 6-under-par 67 Friday on the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii, and stood at 9 under through 36 holes and within reach of the leaders.
“It was a good day. I had it going, 8 under through 12, but two poor drives there in the middle of the round, but made some good swings coming in,” Simpson, 35, said. “So definitely played better today, putted better, feel encouraged.”
Simpson, the winner of seven PGA Tour titles, including the 2012 U.S. Open and 2018 Players Championship as well as the Waste Management Phoenix Open and RBC Heritage in 2020, felt terrible the day after Christmas.
One of Simpson’s five children had the flu before Christmas and Simpson started feeling flu-like symptoms on the 26th. On the 28th after his health worsened over the weekend, he tested positive for COVID-19 and immediately began isolating at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He slowly got better but he could only swing a golf club in his back yard a few times. He practiced at Quail Hollow near his home for the first time on Jan. 5, then flew all day to Hawaii on the sixth. He didn’t play a practice round ahead of Thursday’s first round. Still he shot 3-under 70 on the first day.
“My energy started coming back a few days ago, and thankfully it worked out, the timing of it, where I was able to play this week and so happy to be here,” he said following the round.
He felt a bit better ahead of the second round and looked at full strength through 12 holes. He got things rolling on the third hole with a birdie from three feet, then knocked in a 35-footer for eagle on the fifth. He added birdies on the seventh from nine feet and on the ninth from eight feet.
Then he made the turn and birdied 10, 11 and 12 from three feet, 11 feet and 11 feet, respectively, and had the lead to himself.
But his drive on the 13th was right of the fairway and wound up in high grass, the ball not being found in the 3-minute time limit, and he made double-bogey 6.
On the next hole, his drive found high grass again, this time to the left of the 14th green, and the ball was not found. He reteed and drove the green and two-putted for a bogey 5.
“Thankfully I hit a good drive on 14 on the second one to save bogey,” Simpson said. “But, no, I’ve never (lost balls on consecutive holes) before.
“Moved on. Made a good swing on 15 and good shots coming in.”
Simpson two-putted the 15th for birdie and posted pars on his final three holes.
Simpson still can’t taste anything but other than that, he’s feeling just fine, especially walking the hilly Plantation Course.
“I miss the taste. Nothing is back. But I’m feeling good,” he said. “Surprisingly, I’ve handled these hills better than I thought I would.”