Webb Simpson staying safe and looking forward

When Webb Simpson came home to Charlotte after THE PLAYERS Championship was canceled on March 12, he could already see the hospitality structures starting to take shape at Quail Hollow Club. Five days later, Simpson learned that the Wells Fargo Championship, which would have been played this week, would become one of nine PGA TOUR events and one major championship shuttered in the wake of the coronavirus. “It is very strange,â€� Simpson says. “I mean, it was sad to realize the Wells Fargo wasn’t happening. I love that golf tournament for so many reasons. Being a member, living there, I know the hard work they put into the event.â€� This would have been a busy week for Simpson. He would have appeared at the clinic his caddie, Paul Tesori, hosts for special needs youngsters. There likely would have been activities with some of his sponsors, too. Oh, and of course, golf at a tournament he’d dearly love to win. Now, though, Simpson looks ahead to June when the TOUR tentatively plans to return to golf at the Charles Schwab Challenge. This is already the longest break he’s taken from the game since his rookie year in 2009. Obviously, staying safe and healthy during this pandemic is of paramount importance. And for Simpson, so is helping those affected by the coronavirus – which is why he’s created a sweepstakes for a round of golf with him at Pinehurst No. 2 for the Chipping In COVID-19 Charity Relief Golf Auction. At the same time, the six-time TOUR champ is trying to maintain the competitive edge that saw him beat Tony Finau in a playoff at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and post three other top-10 finishes in five starts this season. “Even though it’s definitely like another off-season I wasn’t expecting, I don’t want to lose any momentum that I’ve had,â€� explains Simpson, who ranks fifth in the FedExCup. “I’m still working out as much. I’m still doing my mental stuff. I’m still playing golf. “I’m still doing these things that I was doing before, but obviously mentally I know that I’m not going to be teeing it up in competition for a while.â€� The home gym helps. So does the availability of the practice facilities at Quail Hollow, which Simpson says is in “awesome shape.â€� But he’s taking North Carolina’s stay-at-home order seriously, and there are five kids under the age of 9 – a son and four daughters – to keep Simpson and his wife Dowd busy there. Simpson and Dowd talked about the uncertainty they felt as they drove home from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, that Friday in March after THE PLAYERS was canceled. They realized they could rely on each other, as well as their strong faith, to get them through these unsettled times. Simpson says the couple has been as honest as possible with their children, given their tender ages, about why the coronavirus has altered life as we all knew it. “They’re pretty in tune with it,â€� he says. “We’re watching the news and we always want to tell them what’s going on, you know, without scaring them. But I don’t think they know the extent of like how global it is and how widespread it is.â€� Dowd has home-schooled their children in the past so transitioning to at-home learning again hasn’t been as much of a challenge as it might have been. The key, Simpson says, is sticking to a schedule that allows time for reading, writing, arithmetic and creative activities, as well as rest, play and other outdoor pursuits. “We just kind of made up our minds we’ve got to stick to that as best we can and that’s going to help our kids do better,â€� Simpson says. “… Thankfully, living on the golf course is nice because we can walk around. I took them to play golf yesterday to hit balls on the range. “So, I guess I’m definitely more PE than instructional. Like when it comes to reading, writing or any subjects, she’s way better.â€� The added time with his family has been the silver lining in the overlying cloud of uncertainty for the 2012 U.S. Open champion. “I’m just never home for this amount of time in a row,â€� Simpson says. “And so, it’s nice, you know, being at the dinner table every night and breakfast table every morning and then not saying goodbye to the kids on a Sunday night heading to a tournament.â€� That is, until June rolls around.

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