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local Golfers Headline news Webb Simpson - First Charlotte Resident To Win U.S. open Looks to faith and patience to capture championship Some say golf on TV is boring, but for Webb Simpson and his wife watching the final three twosomes come down the stretch in the U.S. Open from the locker room at the Olympic Club, was anything but. Simpson, in the clubhouse with a score of 1-over-par 281, watched nervously to see if Jim Furyk and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell - both previous U.S. Open winners - could catch Simpson on their final hole, but they both fell short. The 26-year-old Raleigh native relied upon prayer and patience down the stretch and a clutch putter to shoot a 2-under-par 68 on the final day of the 112th U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Simpson began the day four shots off the lead, but rallied with four 2008 ACC Player of the Year Webb Simpson attended Wake Forest on an Arnold Palmer scholarship, making All-American three-times. Photo Credit: WAKE FoREST UNIvERSITY birdies in five holes to move into contention. He parred the final eight holes to win the tournament by a single stroke. “This is only my second U.S. Open and so I told myself don’t get too excited, don’t try to win. You’ve got to go out there and try to make pars, and that’s what I did. And luckily I made some putts.” “… it’s so demanding here, I never really wrapped my mind around winning. I was 2 over through 5, but I didn't think anything of it because I knew I had #7 coming up and a few other birdie holes on the back. I definitely thought about winning By victoria Smith Webb Simpson joins a list of first time major tournament winners including Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US open champion. Photo Credit: PGA Tour and wanted to win, but I was just trying to keep my mind focused on the hole that I was playing and just somehow make pars.” It was enough to capture his first major when Furyk bogeyed two of his last three holes while McDowell couldn’t recover from a bad start and too many tee shots in the rough. McDowell’s last-ditch effort to tie him went for naught. McDowell had given himself a chance to tie after a birdie on 17, but his 24-foot putt for Webb Simpson admitted he couldn’t have won The open without his wife Dowd at olympic for support. 4 - www.CaRolinaGolfJouRnal.Com - SummeR 2012 _____________________________________________ _________________ Photo Credit: PGA Tour
“Arnold has been so good to awaiting the outcome. Having me,” Simpson said. “Just the other missed the cut in his two previous day, I read that story and thought starts - the Players Championship about it. He’s meant so much to me and the Memorial - Simpson was and Wake Forest. Hopefully, I can struggling with his game and swing get a little back for him and make when he arrived in the Bay Area. him smile.” Of the last 18 players to tee off He said the string of birdies in the final round, Simpson was the was the “difference” on Sunday. only one to break par. That didn’t Simpson “got off to a slow start” seem likely when Simpson was six with two early bogeys, but said he shots behind as he headed to the knew there were opportunities for sixth hole, the toughest at Olympic. Playing with great patience and a prayer, Webb Simpson closed with 8 straight pars to win the US open. better scores later in the round and that he had to “stay patient.” Divine intervention didn’t hurt That’s where he started his big run. His 7-iron landed in the rough and rolled 5 feet away for birdie. He birdie on the final hole missed on either - especially when playing the made birdie on the next two holes, the left side. Simpson won by one wickedly ruthless Lake Course at including a 15-footer on the par-3 shot over McDowell (73) and The Olympic Club. “I probably eighth. And his wedge into the 10th Michael Thompson (67). prayed more on the last three holes settled 3 feet away, putting him in Jim Furyk who won this champi- than I’ve ever done in my life, and the mix for the rest of the day. onship in 2003 shared the overnight that kept me calm and got me home To finish his day Simpson’s shot lead with McDowell, did not make a in 2-under,” said Simpson, who from the rough on the 18th hole birdie and slid into a tie for fourth at earned a degree in religion at Wake went just right of the green and 3 over. No one was more disgusted Forest. “I’m glad my wife (Dowd) is disappeared into a hole, a circle of than Furyk, in control for so much with me. It was pretty nerve-racking. dirt about the size of a sprinkler cap. of the final round until he snap- It was just a cool day. I knew it was With a clump of grass behind the hooked his tee shot on the par-5 16th a tough course and I just had to do ball, he had a bold stroke for such a hole to fall out of the lead for the my best out there.” nervy shot and it came out perfectly, first time all day and was unable to “I needed her with me, because rolling 3 feet by the hole for his get it back. I never felt nerves like I did today. much-needed par that eventually Quail Hollow resident and A lot of times I had to hit my legs, produced Charlotte’s only U.S. member, Simpson emerged from a because I couldn't really feel them. Open Champion. fog-filled final round as a U.S. Open It was a pleasure to have her here, champion as he put two more names and I couldn’t imagine into the graveyard of champions. being here without her.” In only his second US open - Olympic is known as the “grave- Earning his tour card Webb Simpson captured the Championship at the olympic yard of champions” because proven in 2009, Simpson Club in San Francisco. major winners who were in a became the 15th different position to win the U.S. Open all player to win in the last lost to the underdog - Ben Hogan, 15 majors. It was also Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and the third time in the last Payne Stewart. seven years that no one Perhaps it was only fitting that broke par in the U.S. Simpson went to Wake Forest on an Open. All three times, Arnold Palmer scholarship. He did it the winner was in the where Arnold Palmer, whose name locker room when the was on Simpson’s Wake Forest tournament ended. scholarship, suffered one of the most At the start of the difficult losses of his career, squan- week, Simpson, a twodering a seven-stroke lead on the time winner in 2011 on back nine in the final round of the the PGA Tour and 1966 U.S. Open at Olympic, losing second on the money list, to Billy Casper. wasn’t expecting to be ______________________________________________________________ www.CaRolinaGolfJouRnal.Com - SummeR 2012 - 5 Photo Credit: PGA Tour Photo Credit: PGA Tour
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