After Several Trying Months Webb Simpson Is Finally Back

2022 has been a challenging year for Webb Simpson so far but there are positive signs that he may finally be turning a corner. 

Last week at the 2022 PGA Championship, for the first time in seemingly months, Webb Simpson displayed signs that he may have finally turned a corner with his golf game.

The seven-time career winner finished 20th last week at Southern Hills but he produced what many considered to be the round of the week during his third round on Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Webb, in extremely difficult conditions, posted a 65, for a five-under-par round, and in the process quite possibly found something that will springboard the rest of his year.

The 36-year-old North Carolinian hasn’t won on Tour since 2020 when he picked up wins on both sides of the pandemic pause at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and then at the RBC Heritage during the second event after the restart.

It was a rough start to 2022 for Webb after he was sidelined due to a herniated disc in his neck. He teed it up at the Sony Open in Hawaii in his first start of the new year but then was out until making his return to action at the Players Championship in March.

Webb Simpson, who won the Players Championship in 2018, was extremely excited to have been able to make his return to golf at TPC Sawgrass.

It was earlier than he and his team had anticipated being able to return with the initial diagnosis placing his return somewhere in the 6-8 weeks timeframe. He fired rounds of 75 and 74 upon his return to miss the cut at TPC Sawgrass.

Simpson showed some positive signs the following week at Innisbrook where he opened with back-to-back rounds of 67 to make the weekend and find himself in and around contention at the halfway point, a 76 on Saturday, however, essentially ended his chances at the 2022 Valspar Championship.

Webb, who currently sits at 125 in the FedEx Cup standings, followed up his performance at the Valspar with finishes of 35th at both the WGC-Match Play and the Masters, before a return to Harbour Town resulted in a 59th place finish.

He also missed the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship following rounds of 69 and 67 in his last start prior to Southern Hills.

The 20th place finish at last week’s PGA Championship was his best result of 2022 so far and looks like it could be a real turning point in Webb’s season.

A sensational round at the PGA Championship may have ignited Webb Simpson’s season.

Simpson is making his second consecutive start in a row at this week’s 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge where he looks to have brought over the momentum he built up last week to Colonial thus far.

The 2012 U.S. Open winner has had mixed results at Colonial in his previous four starts in Fort Worth having finished inside the top 5 in 2016 and 2017 before missing two cuts in a row here in 2018 and 2020.

Webb got off to an electric start on Thursday after an opening-round 66 which sees him in a share of the lead going into the second round. With wind expected to pick up over the next several days, scoring could become even more difficult, but Webb is more than happy to welcome the gusty playing conditions.

“Had a few good up-and-downs, but this is the type of Colonial that I love where the rough is up and the wind is blowing,” he said. “I love when Colonial gets blowing a little bit like this,” Webb added following his round on Thursday.

He will certainly be hoping that he can build upon his excellent start over the next few days as he looks for his first win since 2020. Regardless of how this week finishes for Simpson, however, there are encouraging signs that would suggest he is finally back after several difficult months.