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PLAYERS Championship: Webb Simpson cruising, ties course record

By Brandon Raper

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 11: Webb Simpson of the United States talks with his caddie on the 18th green during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 11, 2018 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 11: Webb Simpson of the United States talks with his caddie on the 18th green during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 11, 2018 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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THE PLAYERS Championship is known for having the toughest field in golf. After cruising through the first two rounds at TPC Sawgrass, Webb Simpson is the man to catch at the “fifth major”.

The headliners at this week’s PLAYERS Championship were, for the most part, the usual suspects. Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jason Day drew tons of attention, and deservedly so. However, the spotlight is now firmly on Webb Simpson, who is somehow still one of the PGA TOUR’s most underrated stars.

Simpson closed the second round on Friday at a stunning 15-under for the week, and he takes a crushing five-shot lead into the weekend. At this pace, his next target will be the all-time tournament record of -24, set by Greg Norman in 1992.

While the Wake Forest alum is an accomplished mainstay on the PGA TOUR, that’s sure to take some casual fans by surprise. And although you’d never hear it from Simpson himself, that’s a shame.

Really, that’s just Webb’s nature. He’s confident, but not cocky. He’s a four-time TOUR winner and a major champion, but he also hasn’t won since the 2013 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. With a four-plus year victory gap, he knows better than to look too far forward.

"“If I can shoot nine-under today, a guy can go out and shoot seven-, eight-, nine-under [Saturday], and shrink it pretty quickly,” Simpson said. “I think it’s a beautiful golf course in the sense that I could go shoot a few under [Saturday] because there’s birdie holes out there, but if you’re off a little bit, you make bogeys or double bogeys as easy as you can make birdies.“I don’t think any lead is safe.”"

If that’s not the textbook definition of humility, I don’t know what is.

Simpson’s success tied to career-best putting

Back in 2016, when the USGA and R&A outlawed the use of an anchored putting stroke, several TOUR stars struggled to adapt quickly. Simpson, Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott were the three highest-profile players affected.

While Scott had a stellar 2016 season, he’s since fallen off the map in dramatic fashion. Bradley is on the comeback trail, but his putting is still a significant gap in his game.

Then, there’s Simpson. While the 2016 anchor ban definitely took a toll on his game for a short period, he’s bounced back in solid form in the last two years. He finished 2017 ranked 17th in the FedEx Cup race. With six top-ten finishes in his last five events, he set himself up well for 2018, and he’s living up to those expectations right now.

Webb Simpson has quietly been one of the best players on TOUR leading into this week’s PLAYERS Championship. With eight top-25 finishes in 13 starts, he’s a truly balanced golfer. Best of all, he’s finally got that swagger back on the greens like he did with the broomstick. Ranked 10th on TOUR in strokes-gained putting, Simpson just keeps grinding out solid round after solid round.

Next: Tiger Woods sneaks in under the cut line at THE PLAYERS

With just two days and 36 holes standing between him and one of the biggest wins of his career. And although he isn’t counting the money from his winner’s check just yet, that’s part of what got him to this point.

Webb Simpson will be a winner again on the PGA TOUR, whether it happens two days from now, or two weeks, or two months. And when it does, don’t be surprised – he’s been here all along.

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