News
Email
Print
WFU golfer Simpson goes pro
Journal file photo
Webb Simpson
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: June 2, 2008
Updated: 06/02/2008 05:05 pm
Wake Forest's Webb Simpson, who completed his college golf career Saturday at the NCAA Championships, has turned pro.
Simpson, 22, received a sponsor's exemption to play in the PGA Tour's Stanford St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tenn. He played in a pro-am in Memphis this afternoon and will start play in the PGA tournament Thursday.
Simpson, who graduated last month, was a four-time All-ACC player, the 2005 ACC freshman of the year and a three-time winner for the Deacons. He also won several other top amateur tournaments, played on the U.S. Walker Cup team and is ranked as the world's No. 1 amateur by Golfweek magazine.
Simpson had his last career victory for the Deacons in April, winning the ACC championship.
Coach Jerry Haas of the Deacons said that Simpson has prepared himself for the jump to pro golf.
"He had planned to play in a U.S. Open sectional qualifier as an amateur, but at the last minute they offered him a spot in the tournament in Memphis," Haas said yesterday. "So he decided to take that and turn pro. He realizes there will be other chances to play in the U.S. Open."
Simpson was exempt to sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open as an amateur but gave up that qualifying spot by turning pro.
Simpson played in the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla., in March, made the cut and shot 71-71-70-68 to finish tied for 31st at 2 under par.
"There's no question there's some adjustment, but it's still just golf, and it's what he's been doing for all these years," said Haas, who played a combined five years on the European and PGA Tour in the 1990s. "There are a bunch of young guys out there in their 20s who are very good, and he's one of them. I think he'll do very well out there."
Haas said that Simpson's biggest asset is his short game.
"That makes up for a lot of the mistakes when you have that short game, even if you have a bad day with the irons," Haas said. "But Webb has really worked on his ball-striking, and that will serve him well out there on tour."
Haas said that Simpson has sponsor invites to at least three other PGA Tour tournaments and that he'll play in Monday qualifiers on the PGA and Nationwide tours to prepare for PGA Tour qualifying school in the fall. Simpson can take up to seven sponsor invites.
• John Dell can be reached at 727-4081 or at jdell@wsjournal.com
Email
Print
