Inside the Field: FedEx St. Jude Classic

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Step by step. In a game where answers can be hard to come by, Webb Simpson adopted that mantra after reading about Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and even had those three words stamped on his wedges. RELATED: Leaderboard | What’s in Simpson’s bag? Control what you can control, keep moving forward, and have faith that good things will come. “It’s just a reminder for me to take care of the little things,â€� Simpson said after making his second birdie on the 18th hole in less than a half hour to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open in a playoff over Tony Finau. “And the big things seem to take care of themselves.â€� The victory was Simpson’s sixth, and first since THE PLAYERS Championship in 2018. It also came after four runner-up finishes since last summer. He moved to second in the FedExCup. Finau was bidding to win for the first time since the 2016 Puerto Rico Open at Coco Beach. “He got the upper hand this time,â€� Finau said, “but I love that guy, and that’s one hell of a finish. If you’re going to birdie 18 a couple of times, you’re probably going to win.â€� Justin Thomas (65), Bubba Watson (66) and Nate Lashley (68) tied for third, three back. Simpson looked out of it when he hooked his drive into the water at the par-5 15th hole, and while Finau failed to convert on an eight-foot birdie try, the lead was still two with three to play. Finau, the 54-hole leader who recently moved from Utah to Scottsdale, seemed to be in control. “To me it came down to the putt on 15,â€� said Boyd Summerhays, Finau’s coach, “because anything can happen coming in.â€� Paul Tesori, Simpson’s caddie, reminded Simpson of exactly that after their misadventure on 15. “Step by step,â€� Tesori said as they sized up the last three holes. “Tony might birdie the last three and it won’t matter, but if we do our job, we might have a chance.â€� Simpson nearly hit the flagstick at the rowdy, par-3 16th hole, but missed his 18-foot birdie try. He drove the green at the short, par-4 17th and converted a tough two-putt to cut the lead to one. At the par-4 18th, Simpson converted an uphill, right-to-left putt from 17 1/2 feet to force Finau to make, which he couldn’t do, his 8 1/2-foot downhill birdie try sliding off to the right. Simpson birdied 18 from just outside 10 feet, on a similar line, in the playoff. It was over. In a span of three holes in regulation and one in overtime, the script had flipped. “I didn’t think it was over,â€� Simpson said of his thoughts walking off the 15th green, “but I thought I am really going to have to do something special to get back in it.â€�   Step by step. It was how the winner kept his head in the game after four runner-up finishes – The RSM Classic, Wyndham Championship, World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, RBC Canadian Open – but no wins since last summer. He told himself he was learning something every time, and that he hadn’t so much lost those tournaments as others won them. “I wasn’t in contention at Memphis when I finished second,â€� he said. “I had a great Sunday. Rory shoots 61 at RBC, J.T. Poston shoots 62 (at Wyndham). Tyler Duncan birdies 17 and 18 at RSM, which is incredible on those two holes. It could have been easy for me to get down, but as you look at those tournaments, guys played great and that’s the way the game goes sometimes.â€� His father, Sam, who died just over two years ago, used to tell Simpson: You hang in there. You keep at it no matter what life and your job might throw at you. “If you’re not ready for things to turn around,â€� Simpson said Sunday, “they probably won’t.â€� His solid play this week was no surprise; he had lost a playoff to Hideki Matsuyama in 2017, and had three other top-10 finishes at TPC Scottsdale. The course appeals especially to big hitters, which Simpson will never be – he’s outside the top 150 on TOUR in driving distance – but he makes up for it with pinpoint accuracy with his irons, first and foremost. Also, although few have probably noticed, he has gotten incrementally longer with the help of trainer Cornel Driessen. “He’s gained about eight yards in the air over the last two years,â€� said Tesori. “Transformed his body. He works out like a beast at home. I used to call him a skinny fat kid, and now he’s ripped. He’s stronger, more flexible.â€� The result: Simpson, who had done everything but win with six top-20 finishes here, was able to comfortably hit 3-wood off the 18th tee and know he’d have only a sand wedge remaining. “It doesn’t look like it, because he’ll never be able to do what they can do,â€� Tesori said, “but in his own way he has worked as hard as he could.â€� Step by step. At 34 years old and with six TOUR wins to his name, Simpson is really getting somewhere.

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Jarrod Lyle’s recovery from a third bout of cancer has been hit with a mystery illness that has resulted in a loss of vision and has the former PGA TOUR player back in hospital. Lyle underwent a haploidentical transplant and stem cell therapy back in his native Australia in December to deal with a third acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis and was recovering well until recently. In the last week the two-time Web.com Tour winner’s vision has deteriorated into a complete blur and doctors are baffled as to why. It is a condition that may be irreversible. “Dealing with it is not real crash hot, but hopefully we are getting closer to a diagnosis of exactly what’s going on,� Lyle said on Australia radio station SEN. “I’m having every test known to mankind to try to figure out what’s going on with it. “One of the head neurologists said it’s a very, very rare thing he’s only seen once or twice so they are not sure whether it is going to reversible or not, it depends on how much damage has been done up until now. “I hope it is reversible but you have to have the worst-case scenario in the back of your head and be ready to live with blurred vision – not being able to drive and look after your kids and yourself that well. It is a bit of a tough pill to swallow.� Lyle was first struck with cancer as a teenager but survived against the odds and then forged a decent PGA TOUR career. After his best ever result of a T4 finish at the Genesis Open in 2012, it returned. Miraculously he recovered once more and again tried his best to return to the TOUR but was unable to reclaim his card and as such returned to Australia to play his home tour, dabble in some commentary and take up a business selling golf apparel. The cancer came back again last year but he continues to fight. The TOUR family got behind his plight, helping to fundraise for his treatment and life with wife Briony and young daughters Lusi (6) and Gemma (2). The 36-year-old has had some dark moments but refuses to give in. “I just feel like my body has had enough – I feel like it is ready to give up. Every little thing that comes my way turns into something a bit bigger but I guess I just still have that fighting spirit I’ve always had and want to get through it,� Lyle admitted bluntly. “I had a little moment where I burst in tears and had a bit of a sook about it all but there are still a lot of things I want to do in life. “And watching my girls grow up and being there for them and being there for Bri as much as I can… those are probably the three main things that keep me going every day. “I realize no matter how bad it gets there is always that light at the end of the tunnel and I’m looking for that light, and while I just can’t see it at the moment I know it is there. And I know I have to keep fighting to get there.� With thousands of well wishes coming from around the world, Lyle also recognizes his fight can impact others. He expects to be in the hospital for a few weeks while more tests and a treatment plan are carried out, but he hopes things turn around again soon. “I want to be that person that people down the track draw strength from my story,� he said. Plenty already do.

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Tiger is looking up at some big names on the leaderboard. Can he catch them this time? Well, don’t rule it out.

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