Simpson shoots 62 with short putter in hand 0rn.co/TY2 PGA Tour Webb Simpson fired an 8-under 62 in the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii. ( Associated Press ) By Jeff Babineau Thursday, January 15, 2015 HONOLULU - Webb Simpson felt like a little kid heading to his first day of kindergarten. He was a little apprehensive, a little nervous, and not quite sure what the day might bring. Thursday at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Simpson did something hes never done as a member of the PGA Tour: He put a conventional putter into play, approaching his round as a mental hurdle he needed to clear. So far, so good. Standing on his ninth hole (Waialae Country Clubs par-5 18th) having done little in his round, Simpson reeled off eight birdies in his final 10 holes to shoot 8-under 62, tying Paul Casey for the early-day lead. His front-nine 28 tied a tournament record set by Toshinori Muto in 2012. It was one of the best putting rounds Ive ever had, to be honest, said Simpson, who needed only 23 putts. Ive been putting well with it (the short putter), but its easy to putt well on your home course playing with your buddies. So today there was a lot of pressure. I didnt sleep that great last night, but had a good morning, talked to my wife, and a good warmup and it was big to see a few putts go in early. The U.S. Golf Association and The R&A will implement Rule 14-1b, which prohibits anchoring a putter, on Jan. 1, 2016. Some players are planning to anchor putters on Tour throughout this year, until the deadline arrives, but Simpson wants to get ahead of it. Hed last used a conventional-length putter regularly in his first semester at Wake Forest in 2004. He tinkered with a conventional putter in Japan, at the Dunlop Phoenix, in November, but this was the first time he felt under the gun. He is putting with a 34-inch Odyssey White Hot Pro V Series putter. The pressure comes when theres expectation, he said. Theres more focus on you, which, you know, two ways to deal with it. One, it can negatively affect you, or two, you can realize that hey, thats just how it is, and youve got to play through it. The short putter isnt the only change Simpson has made in his game. He also spent a half-day with Butch Harmon to gently reroute the path of his backswing. Previously, Simpson said he took the club back a little too inside. All the work he is doing dovetails into one simple goal for 2015: To get better. Simpson said the anticipation in waiting for the Sony to start made him pretty nervous. He said a couple of Bible verses shared by his wife, Dowd, helped to calm him. Golf is a funny game, he said. Any time you start off playing solid, it just gives me confidence. More than anything, Im just glad to get started. I didnt want to wait until 2016 because I didnt want to be in a position where I felt like I was forced into the short putter. Jan 15, 2015 Caseys tough choice pays off at Sony Open Jan 15, 2015 Kirk uses a little luck in Sony Open 66 Jan 15, 2015 Sony Open could break Pat Perez out of slump Jan 15, 2015 McIlroy using new Nike Engage wedge in Abu Dhabi Jan 15, 2015 Simpson shoots 62 with short putter in hand Jan 15, 2015 Recap: Sony Open, Round 1 Jan 15, 2015 North Carolina, Pacific gain talent in transfers Jan 15, 2015 Alvaro Ortiz among leaders at Latin America Amateur Jan 15, 2015 Brooks de-commits from Florida, leads The Sally Jan 15, 2015 Korda battles conditions at The Sally for 2nd-round 74 Jan 15, 2015 Mitchell leads Louisville contingent at The Sally Jan 15, 2015 Mens preview: ACC Jan 15, 2015 Womens preview: ACC Jan 15, 2015 SCORES: Sony Open, Round 1 Jan 15, 2015 Young Pieters shows he can keep pace on Euro Tour PGA Tour Caseys tough choice pays off at Sony Open By Alex Miceli Paul Caseys decision to play the Sony Open in Hawaii over the European Tours Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship may pay off after a first-round 62. Caseys tough choice pays off at Sony Open Paul Casey co-leads the Sony Open in Hawaii through one round. ( Associated Press ) By Alex Miceli PGA Tour Kirk uses a little luck in Sony Open 66 By Alex Miceli Chris Kirk turned in a solid round of 4-under 66 in the first round of the PGA Tours Sony Open in Hawaii to stay in the hunt. Kirk uses a little luck in Sony Open 66 Chris Kirk, shown at the McGladrey Classic, shot a 4-under 66 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. ( Associated Press ) By Alex Miceli Keegan Bradley switches to counterbalanced putter By David Dusek Keegan Bradley switches from his usual Odyssey Sabertooth belly putter to a counterbalanced Scotty Cameron Futura X5 Dual Balance putter at the Hero World Challenge. Keegan Bradley switches to counterbalanced putter The Scotty Cameron Futura X5 Dual Balance putter Keegan Bradley is putting to use this weekend at the Hero World Challenge. ( Titleist ) By David Dusek Ryder sources: Watson flipped on Haas for Simpson By Alex Miceli Less than 24 hours after having decided on his captains picks for the 2014 Ryder Cup, Tom Watson changed his mind regarding Bill Haas and opted instead for Webb Simpson. Ryder sources: Watson flipped on Haas for Simpson Sources say Bill Haas, left, was a Ryder Cup captains pick by Tom Watson before Webb Simpson got the spot in a late reversal (Haas and Simpson shown during the 2013 Presidents Cup). ( Associated Press ) By Alex Miceli Odyssey White Hot Pro putters By David Dusek Bringing back a face insert that remained popular among pros, the Odyssey White Hot Pro line of putters latest iteration offers 18 choices. Odyssey White Hot Pro putters By David Dusek Join The Conversation Follow Golfweek on Instagram! Follow Golfweek on Twitter! Follow Golfweek on Facebook! PGA Tour Caseys tough choice pays off at Sony Open By Alex Miceli Paul Caseys decision to play the Sony Open in Hawaii over the European Tours Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship may pay off after a first-round 62. Caseys tough choice pays off at Sony Open Paul Casey co-leads the Sony Open in Hawaii through one round. ( Associated Press ) By Alex Miceli PGA Tour Kirk uses a little luck in Sony Open 66 By Alex Miceli Chris Kirk turned in a solid round of 4-under 66 in the first round of the PGA Tours Sony Open in Hawaii to stay in the hunt. Kirk uses a little luck in Sony Open 66 Chris Kirk, shown at the McGladrey Classic, shot a 4-under 66 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. ( Associated Press ) By Alex Miceli PGA Tour Sony Open could break Pat Perez out of slump By Alex Miceli Pat Perez hopes to regain his form at the PGA Tours Sony Open in Hawaii. Sony Open could break Pat Perez out of slump Pat Perez hopes to regain his form at the PGA Tours Sony Open in Hawaii. ( Associated Press ) By Alex Miceli PGA Tour Simpson shoots 62 with short putter in hand By Jeff Babineau Webb Simpson putted his way to an opening-round 62 at the Sony Open in Hawaii using a conventional-length putter. Simpson shoots 62 with short putter in hand Webb Simpson fired an 8-under 62 in the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii. ( Associated Press ) By Jeff Babineau PGA Tour Recap: Sony Open, Round 1 By Golfweek Staff The first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii is about to start at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Be sure to follow our live blog for all information coming from Hawaii! Recap: Sony Open, Round 1 Jimmy Walker ( Associated Press ) By Golfweek Staff PGA Tour North Carolina, Pacific gain talent in transfers By Lance Ringler In college golf, its rare for an impact player to transfer at semester even though it is legal if the player is released by the school. It happened to a few programs during winter break. North Carolina, Pacific gain talent in transfers Carter Jenkins will join the North Carolina roster in the spring. By Lance Ringler PGA Tour SCORES: Sony Open, Round 1 Follow the leaderboard at the PGA Tours Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. SCORES: Sony Open, Round 1 Jimmy Walker ( Associated Press ) PGA Tour Patrick Reed joins IMG stable By Alex Miceli Patrick Reed, 24, a four-time PGA Tour winner, has signed with WME | IMG, the management company announced Thursday. Patrick Reed joins IMG stable Patrick Reed defeated Jimmy Walker in a sudden-death playoff at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. ( Associated Press ) By Alex Miceli PGA Tour PGA Tour rookies Barber, Taylor off to fast starts By Jeff Babineau Blayne Barber and Nick Taylor were standouts in college, but it has taken them some time to reach the PGA Tour. Now, the Tour rookies, both teeing it up at this weeks Sony Open, are getting a chance to see how they stack up against golfs best. PGA Tour rookies Barber, Taylor off to fast starts Blayne Barber (left) and Nick Taylor ( Photos by The Associated Press and Getty Images ) By Jeff Babineau PGA Tour PODCAST: Previewing the Sony Open in Hawaii By David Dusek David Dusek caught up with Alex Miceli at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu to preview the upcoming Sony Open. Dusek and Miceli discuss defending champion Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar and who else might have a shot at winning the Sony title. PODCAST: Previewing the Sony Open in Hawaii Jimmy Walker will try to defend his Sony Open title this week at Waialae Country Club. ( Associated Press ) By David Dusek PGA Tour Press-friendly Furyk wins GWAAs Murray Award By Jim McCabe Jim Furyk was named the winner of the annual ASAP/Jim Murray Award by the Golf Writers Association of America for the cooperation and accommodation he has shown media members. Press-friendly Furyk wins GWAAs Murray Award Jim Furyk was named the GWAAs ASAP/Jim Murray Award winner. ( Associated Press ) By Jim McCabe PGA Tour Todds... #golf #collegegolf
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 13:44:06 +0000
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