Simpson Excels Amid Uncertain Times & Resumption of PGA Tour

HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- Despite drastic changes to the playing environment on the course, former Demon Deacon golfer Webb Simpson was excited to hit the links for a second-straight last week as the PGA Tour continued its return to action.

Simpson was a four-time All-ACC golfer and ACC Player of the Year in 2008. He won the ACC Championship in 2008 and led the Deacs to a third-place finish in the 2006 NCAA Championships.

Last week the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Famer won the RBC Heritage, which took place at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Simpson hit five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine for a 7-under 64 on Sunday to finish the tournament at 22-under 264, which broke the tournament record set by Brian Gay in 2009 by two shots.

"This is one of my favorite golf courses of the year. It's really a shot-makers' golf course," Simpson said at the pre-event press conference last week. "I love that about it, and it's always in great shape. Obviously, being RBC Ambassador makes it extra-special to be here. We didn't know if it was going to happen back in April, but it's nice that they rescheduled. It's great to be here in June. It's a great week all around with golf and family. My family is here, so that helps make this one of the events I love coming to."

The RBC Heritage was originally scheduled in mid-April to follow the Masters. It was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and popped back on the schedule once return-to-play protocols were arranged.

The PGA returned two weeks ago with the Charles Schwab Classic in Fort Worth, TX.

"I didn't think it could have gone any better," Simpson said. "I could have played better. That first round was just a slow start for me, getting used to no fans. I feel like I draw a lot of momentum from the crowd. It's something to get used to."

Simpson said he follows the same routine every week, and a lot of those were understandably disrupted.

"We couldn't go into the clubhouse until our test results came back," he said. "There's so many new things that I don't think I was prepared for mentally. Having experienced it now, I know I have to be a little more patient. I know what to expect moving forward, as I assume it will go similarly.

"They have strict protocols for us while we're on site, but when we're off site it's sort of up to us to be smart. I think we're seeing with the numbers spiking in various states that people took this very seriously the first couple of months and I think the spike is probably because people are relaxing."

Entering the RBC Heritage, Simpson sat sixth in the FedEx Cup standings, with one tournament win and four top-10 finishes.

"If I miss a week, it's detrimental to my FedEx Cup numbers and my contracts — there's a lot of things riding on us just being eligible to play," Simpson said. "I get nervous when I get the test result on my phone. I know if I get positive, I can't play for a couple weeks, and that's a big deal at this point in the season. I'm trying to be as careful as I can be. There were no positives last week, which was amazing. I don't know how long that can keep up, but guys need to make sure they're not doing anything dumb."

So staying smart and staying healthy is important for Simpson in the coming weeks and months. He's continuing to keep the dangers of the pandemic in the forefront of his mind in terms of the actions he takes away from the course.

"I try to stay out of the public as much as possible," Simpson said. "Another player came to my rental house for dinner last week, but we ate outside. We never had a conversation inside. It's lonely, for sure, if you're by yourself. But it's kind of what you have to do to make sure you can stay on the golf course. My family is at home, and they have to quarantine real strict because I come home between weeks. They are with me this week, so they have to go through it as well."

In addition to the testing system set up for the golfers, the PGA also has banned fans from the events taking place.

"Making putts and hearing the crowd get excited does help," Simpson said. "But at the end of the day, we've played more rounds without fans than with fans. Nothing is different, except it is a tournament.

"We're just happy to tee it up."

The PGA Championship will also be without fans when it takes place in San Francisco in early August.

"That's going to be so strange, to be at a major with no fans, when we're used to ten of thousands every day," Simpson said. "It's going to be strange, especially the lead group. All that is something to get used to. I don't think Tiger (Woods) has ever had (just) 100 people watching him. It's always been in the thousands.

"It's going to be strange, but I respect the decision. They badly want us to play, even if it means no fans. I'm glad they're doing that, rather than canceling the event or moving it."

Wake Forest Athletics

Simpson Excels Amid Uncertain Times & Resumption of PGA Tour

Related News

Related Videos