The PGA Tour crowned Webb Simpson as their PLAYERS Champion today but he didn’t win the tournament today. Simpson’s final round amounted to a victory lap, a walk in the park as he had used his first three rounds to pull away from the field at the TPC Sawgrass. And this was just a long coronation.
His first three rounds of 66-63-68 gave him a record 54 hole seven stroke lead over Danny Lee and it was essentially over Saturday night. All that was left were eighteen more holes to avoid any disastrous meltdown and for his name to be inscribed on the crystal trophy.
Simpson lacked the magic he had on Friday but didn’t need any such heroics today. His one over 73 was more than enough for the win. With three birdies and two bogeys going into the 72nd hole he stood on the eighteenth tee with a six shot lead. Even his anti-climatic double bogey on eighteen wasn’t cause for worry as he had this one in the bag long ago.
Simpson is another reject from the anchoring days. He had used an anchored stroke all his life and when that was banned by the USGA he struggled to find any reliable putting stroke that could keep him in the mix at the PGA Tour level. He took a tip from former anchor putter Tim Clark last year at The PLAYERS and he has turned his putting game around.
It’s his fifth PGA Tour win and his first since 2014. If he continues to play…and putt like he did this week, it won’t be his last.
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