KDUORWWH·V )LUVW - Carolina Golf Journal

“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
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www.CaRolinaGolfJouRnal.Com - SummeR 2012 - 5
Photo Credit: PGA Tour
Photo Credit: PGA Tour