A

t the age of 26 in 2012, American Webb Simpson reached the pinnacle of professional golf by winning the US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

With his first major championship in hand, the golf world began to fashion lofty proclamations as to how many majors the young, lanky Simpson would capture. On the contrary it took Simpson 16 months to win his next PGA Tour event, the Shriners Open, which was not exactly a major championship.

He then endured a four-and-a-half year drought on the PGA Tour. The single constant all this time, besides his family, was his caddie, Paul Tesori, who was on his bag for the US Open win.

Tesori continued to offer Simpson positive guidance but could not help him get past his newly emerged putting woes after the USGA and R&A, golf’s governing bodies, banned the use of anchored putters in January 2016. Simpson had no choice but to get accustomed to a standard putter. He plodded along as Tesori wondered if Webb would ever regain his lost putting prowess.

Fast forward to the 2018 Players Championship.

Seemingly out of nowhere, he shot a 6-under-par 66 for the first round and then went on an absolute tear to shoot a 9-under 63 in the second round.

Simpson posted a total of 15-under-par after 36 holes. With this he took a record five-stroke lead into the third round over Danny Lee of New Zealand, Patrick Cantlay of the United States and Sergio Garcia.

He admitted to receiving a putting tip a year ago from a veteran player and former winner of the Players Championship Tim Clark.

“I wasn’t going in a good direction. It was a couple years of struggle, but you know, I’m very thankful that he [Clarke] gave me that lesson.”

Simpson played superbly in the third round to not only hold off the field, but to add to his lead by two strokes.

After a third round 4-under-par 68 he moved to 19-under-par. He was a full seven strokes ahead of second-placed Danny Lee who was at 12-under-par.

At this stage, it was Simpson’s tournament to lose after he set another Players lead margin record (seven strokes) after three rounds. No one in the history of the PGA Tour had ever failed to win an event with a seven-stroke lead going into the final round. In his comeback bid, Tiger Woods produced some sparks of his own by shooting a 7-under-par 65 to move to 8-under-par.

Simpson and Tesori knew that in order to win they could not play to protect the lead in Sunday’s final round even with a record margin considering the quality of players behind them.

“So I have to come out tomorrow with that same mindset that I have a few par-5s, I have a few short par-4s, and there’s going to be birdie chances, so I can’t force anything, even if I’m even through 12 holes.

“I’ve just got to keep going and take my chances when I can,” said Simpson after the third round.

He played marvelously through the final round. Despite the field’s attempts to press him, he never allowed them to get closer than four strokes. In fact, Woods shot a 6-under-par to get to 14-under after 13 holes to lead an admirable charge but fell back. By the time Simpson’s tee shot landed on the fairway on the par 4, the 18th and final hole, he held an insurmountable six-stroke lead. Even after finishing with an inconsequential double bogey, he posted a huge four stroke win (at 18-under-par) over a trio of second-placed finishers in American’s Xander Schauffele, Jimmy Walker and South African Charl Schwartzl (14-under-par).

After 107 starts without a win, Simpson achieved victory at none other than the prestigious Players Championship.

He said: “I think to beat the best field in golf will give me confidence going into the majors and World Golf Championship events. Everybody, I think, wants to think of themselves as a top player, and I want to get back to kind of that top level caliber that I played at for a few years.”

Woods, who shot a final round 3-under 69, finished at 11-under-par for 11th place with Justin Thomas who shot a 6-under 66. Woods claimed he was fast approaching his winning form after shooting a 10-under-par over the final two rounds. With his 11th place finish Thomas now becomes the world’s top ranked player replacing fellow American Dustin Johnson.