PGA Tour: Webb Simpson Recaps Playoff Victory at 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

PGA Tour: Webb Simpson speaks with the media following his playoff victory at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open about moving to the top 10 of the OWGR as well as number 2 in FedEx cup points.

PGA Tour: Webb Simpson speaks with the media following playoff victory over Tony Finau at the Waste Management Phoenix Open

THE MODERATOR: I’d like to welcome Webb Simpson, winner of the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Webb, 10th start here, five top-10s, a couple of close calls prior to today. So with that said, the win moved you to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings, just, obviously, a great week for you. So just some initial thoughts.

WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I flew out Monday to see Butch Harmon in Vegas and so I started the week off right, I think, just getting a checkup from him. And two weeks of rest, I came in feeling ready to go. Slow start on Thursday. And I knew after Thursday I was going to have to put together a few good rounds and I was able to do that, Friday, Saturday. Today was a lot different. Today played tougher. I thought the pins were very tough, by far the toughest day of pins, course was longer, we had wind, we hadn’t had wind all week, so everything today was harder. So to get in a couple under felt nice. And honestly, there on 15 when I drove it in the water, Tony hit a great drive. I didn’t think it was over, but I thought I’m going to really have to do something special to get back in it. And thankfully I birdied the last two to have a chance and then repeated in the playoff. So it feels great. It’s been a year and a half since THE PLAYERS, which is a long time, but it feels great.

THE MODERATOR: I’ve heard you say a couple times down on the green that when it comes to playoffs you haven’t exactly had the best of luck. How did you treat it differently today to get the job done.

WEBB SIMPSON: I think what I learned at RSM was I relaxed a little bit. I felt like regulation is over, I just kind of let my guard down instead of treating it as another hole, the 73rd hole and continuing to stay very focused and very hungry to hit good shots. And I just tried to do that today, and thankfully, same club off the tee, same second shot, almost to the exact same number and it was a very similar putt. So I think getting frustrated after RSM led to being better prepared for today.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up for questions, please.

Q. Paul was saying that you have “step by step” on your wedge. What’s that about? Can you explain that?
WEBB SIMPSON: So I was reading an article about Jeff Bezos and their company mantra or company phrase is “step by step”. And the article was just talking about how he’s always tried to take every step and the company take every step, whether little or big, but treat it really carefully and do the best they can at each step. And I just thought this is a game with so many elements, players, we’re playing outside, that you can only control so much. And so about two years ago I made my focus step by step, just, you know, when I go in the gym, I’m going to do the best I can, when I’m practicing, the best I can. So it’s just a reminder for me to take care of the little things and the big things seem to take care of themselves.

Q. Has it been on your wedges that long?
WEBB SIMPSON: At least a year, maybe longer. Yeah, maybe a year and a half.

Q. What does it say to the guy who ranks 160th in driving distance, not only can hang out here, but have the kind of run you’ve been on? And secondly, have you done anything to sort of chase distance or add distance?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I hired Cornell Dreesen, a trainer, three years ago and we set out on a journey to get longer, but very carefully because precision, accuracy, distance control is something for me that’s always been a strength and has to be a strength for me to play well, because I don’t hit it that far. So we just went really slowly, and my speed is more. We have picked up a mile and a half to two miles an hour for the last two years and so we have made jumps. But I just didn’t want to do it overnight. I didn’t want to really take away from something that I’ve always done, which is when I’m, for the most part, playing well, hitting fairways. And we have the luxury on the PGA TOUR to pick where we want to play, which is a really nice luxury to have. And so I, on purpose, stay away from certain places that I don’t think give me good chances to win. And so I think for me not hitting it that far but playing well the last couple years is a lot of being smart about where I’m playing. And I don’t mind playing longer tracks, but it’s just harder to win.

Q. You’ve been on quite a run really since the middle of last summer. But did — at any point, did all those runner ups, I think four of them, did any of that wear on you at all that you had come close but not won?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think the thing that was helpful and encouraging to me that I kept telling myself was, I wasn’t in contention at Memphis when I finished second. I had a great Sunday. Rory shoots 61 at RBC, JT posted and shoots 62. Tyler Duncan birdies 17 and 18 at RSM, which is incredible on those two holes. And so I think it could have been easy for me to get down, but as you look at those tournaments, guys played great and that’s the way the game goes sometimes. Sometimes you get handed a trophy, somebody bogeys a couple for you. And but more times than not you got to make birdies and those guys did it.

Q. You’re back in the top-10 in the World Ranking for the first time since 2012. How would you assess or compare the state of your game currently to back in 2012?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think it’s more well-rounded. I think I’ve had a lot of experience since then, learned a lot. And I really, I mentioned this a couple times, I think, but a couple years ago I was just a little bit tired of being inconsistent and I wanted to be a more consistent player. And I started looking at the weaknesses and really learning from golf tournaments, whether I finished second or 30th or missed the cut. And so I think just becoming more a student of the game and a student of myself has helped. So I do feel just more well-rounded now. And I think my time in the gym has led, not necessarily to a lot of yards, but it’s led to just more consistent feeling in my body when I show up to the range. And that’s a big deal. We’re playing at different time zones, different environments, weather, and so to show up with the same body week-in, week-out is actually a lot more important than I thought.

Q. Talk about your two putts on 18. They looked like almost similar length and similar area when you made them.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, the first one was — I had it right center, Paul had a ball out, so we split our reads. I went right edge or I think that’s what I did, right edge. And, yeah, he helped me there. And then in the playoff it was a little shorter, more break, I was closer to pin high and that was a cup out right to left, and that one we agreed on, which made me feel better. And that one caught the right side.

Simpson Talks Overcoming Playoff Struggles

Q. On the playoff streak, which ended at four today on the losing streak, did you think about 2017 when you lost to Hideki on the fourth playoff hole? Did you say, Oh my goodness, Tony and I are going to go after this again for four or more holes?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, it came out. I was riding out and asking what holes we were playing and they said we were just going to stay on 18 for crowd purposes. But, yeah, past memories come up, but it happened so fast, we sign our card, we get in the cart, we tee off, it happens really fast so I didn’t have a whole lot of time to think.

Q. Was there a point where you regretted breaking the belly putter and the time period that you went through struggling with some anxiety with putting?
WEBB SIMPSON: No, I mean, I broke the putter in November of 2014 and so Japan, Dunlop Phoenix was my first event with the short putter. And Paul and I just agreed that if we get a year under our belt before the ban happens, it’s only going to help us, even if we struggle. And that was a tough two years, but my dad always told me, You got to hang in there. Like, no matter what life throws at you, your job throws at you, you just got to hang in there. Not that it’s always going to turn out well, but if you’re not ready for things to turn around, then they probably won’t. So I just kind of, there was many frustrating moments, for sure, but I hung in there and tried a lot of different stuff and finally found something that works.

Q. You and Tony are Presidents Cup teammates and you know him pretty well. How hard is that when you play so well at the end to finally break through and then see what it does to the other guy? Golf can be so brutal.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, it’s hard. I actually thought about that out there. He’s one of my good friends on TOUR. We’ve talked about playing together in team events as partners. I’m comfortable with him. I love his caddie, Greg. And so that part’s hard. I mean, we’re after the same thing. You never want to see a guy mess up. In a perfect world you hit great shots and your score’s one stroke lower. So I hope he doesn’t feel bad about today because he played great. He was over par and then he birdies 12 and 13 and hit great shots coming in, and he’s a world class player, as you guys know. I don’t have to tell you. He’s going to be around for a long time.

Q. As a man of faith, all this week has been focused on the death of Kobe Bryant along with the seven others. Tell us what that means. Every time you went to 16 there was lots of Kobe stuff going on. Think about that as your place as a man of faith?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I mean, I tell you what, for a guy that I never knew, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced sadness for the death of someone that I never knew like I did with Kobe. And my caddie and I were talking about it the other night and I asked him, why do you think, you know, this one feels different? I mean, many, many people have died in my lifetime that I knew of, but I think just it hit home to me, he’s seven years older, he’s 41, he has four kids, I have five; he has four daughters, I have four daughters; and he seemed like he was at a place in his life where he’s so excited about what’s going on around him, what he’s giving back to, what he’s involved in. So I think that made it hard, but I hope his wife Vanessa and his kids have felt what we have seen with what people are doing and how people are talking about how he impacted their life. So, yeah, I watched the Lakers game the other night and LeBron, the tribute, so I’ve been thinking about it all week. And I love what they did on 16 today, 24 on, 8 left. My caddie and I were actually trying to figure out that last night. We’re like, I’ve never seen that pin, what are they doing. And we didn’t really think about it until this morning. But, yeah, I mean, my heart’s still heavy, as I’m sure the world’s is, it’s going to be awhile.

Q. What is your schedule going forward for the next month or so and then how do you hope this kind of sets you up for the year?
WEBB SIMPSON: All I know right now is that I’m going to play in Mexico and THE PLAYERS. After that I’m not sure. My schedule picks up starting with the Masters and I play a good amount there after that. So I’m trying to pace myself. The fall, there’s so many good events I’m going to play in the fall, but, yeah, this is a nice start to the season. I hadn’t played a lot so far, so with the FedExCup the way it is, it’s nice to have a few good finishes where I don’t really have to play.

Q. To piggy back off that Kobe question, you mentioned your heart being heavy still processing it, but when the 16th is today is always looked at as a celebration, does that help?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think so. Even LeBron said that the other night, that they’re going to have to turn, at some point turn the sadness into celebrating his life and I think that was well said. Yeah, I think it’s just back and forth. One moment I’m sure that people around Kobe’s family are laughing and telling stories and then at another moment they’re crying. That’s what we experienced with my dad two years ago, you don’t really know what you’re going to do until you go through it, but it feels better celebrating it. You got to get the tears out and be sad, but it feels good talking about the stories and what he meant to people and what he did in people’s lives, that part helps you grieve better, I think.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Webb, congratulations.

WEBB SIMPSON: Thank you.

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 2, 2020

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