Simpson steals Phoenix Open in extra time

By
Mo Yoshimoto,

By
Mo Yoshimoto

Published February 3, 2020 09:14 AM

Waste Management Phoenix Open

TPC Scottsdale

Scottsdale, Arizona

Winner’s Share: $1,314,000

Playing out of the final threesome, World No. 11 Webb Simpson, a pre-tourney 12/1 outright, erased a one-shot deficit with a 2-under-par 35-34=69 in Sunday’s final round to match overnight leader and playing competitor Tony Finau (70) on 17-under 267, and then defeated him with a birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-4 18^th.

Justin Thomas (65), Bubba Watson (66) and first-timer Nate Lashley (68) shared 3^rd-place, three swings short of the playoff.

Simpson bags his sixth PGA TOUR title in 287 events, first since the 2018 PLAYERS (as 54-hole leader) 37 starts ago (66/1).

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Overall, it’s his third come-from-behind victory, first since the 2012 U.S. Open (Olympic Club), where he came from four back (T8) with 2-under 68 to win by one over Graeme McDowell and Michael Thompson.

Inclusive of the playoff, Simpson birdied his final three holes played, including a 17-footer on the 72^nd hole to force extra time, and then the winner from 10'5".

Finau, a recent transplant to Scottsdale, was two up with two to play. He finished par-par, lowlighted by a missed birdie on the 72^nd hole from 8’5” for the win, and then a missed 18-footer in sudden-death to extend.

Final Leaderboard (DraftKings pre-tourney odds outright):

P1- (-17, 267) Webb Simpson (12/1)

P2- (-17, 267) Tony Finau (35/1)

3- (-14, 270) Justin Thomas (9/1)

3- (-14, 270) Bubba Watson (30/1)

3- (-14, 270) Nate Lashley (300/1)

Note: Consecutive top-10 finishes in the event: Thomas (3-3); Watson (3-4); Branden Grace (9-2); Jon Rahm (9-10)

The Wake Forest alum is now 4-for-4 on the season with four top 10s, three of those top 3s, including a 3^rd at the Sony in his last start three weeks ago, and a playoff loss at the RSM.

This was his 10^th WMPO, seventh top 25 and fifth top 10, first since a playoff loss three tries ago in 2017, where then defender Hideki Matsuyama defeated him with birdie-3 on the fourth playoff hole.

Season Form: P1-3-P2-7

WMPO Form: P1-20-MC-CUT-P2-14-10-8-8-MC-65

FUN FACT: Presidents Cup participants from December have won four of five events to begin calendar-year 2020. Thomas (Sentry TOC); Cameron Smith (Sony); Marc Leishman (Farmers); Simpson (WMPO).

Simpson’s Position by Round:

R1: T66 (10 back)

R2: T8 (5 back)

R3: 2 (1 back)

R4: T1

Finau’s Position by Round:

R1: T31 (8 back)

R2: T12 (6 back)

R3: 1 (by 1)

R4: T1

Leader/co-leaders by Round:

R1: Wyndham Clark (finished: T34): Drops to 0-for-2 as 18-hole leader/co-leader

R2: J.B. Holmes (T16): Drops to 1-for-6 as 36-hole leader/co-leader

R3: Tony Finau (P2): Drops to 0-for-3 as 54-hole leader/co-leader

R4: Webb Simpson (P1): Record in playoffs: 2-5

R4: Tony Finau (P2): Record in playoffs: 1-2

How Simpson Won the Tournament:

Ranked 1^st (or T1) in: SG: Approach; Par-4 Scoring; All-Around

Ranked 2^nd (or T2) in: SG: Tee-to-Green; Total Birdies; Birdie or Better Percentage

Note: See “Leaders in Strokes Gained Stats” at the bottom, along with his full stats.

Lowest-Ranked Stat(s): Par-5 Scoring (T55); SG: Around (43^rd); Driving Distance all drives (T36)

Simpson’s TOUR Career:

Starts: 287

Cuts Made: 223 (77.7%)

Top 25s: 134 (46.6%)

Top 10s: 71 (24.7%)

Top 3s: 25 (8.7%)

Wins: 6 (2.0%)

FUN FACT: Simpson went 4 years, 7 months and 108 starts between win No. 4 (2014 Shriners) and win No. 5 (2018 PLAYERS). He’s reduced that to 1 year, 9 months and 37 starts between wins five and six.

Wins by Season:

2020: 1

2019: --

2018: 1

2017: --

2016: --

2015: --

2014: 1

2013: --

2012: 1

2011: 2

Simpson at WMPO:

Starts: 10

Top 25s: 7

Top 10s: 5

Top 5s: 2

Wins: 1

Simpson’s Season:

Starts: 4

Cuts Made: 4

Top 25s: 4

Top 10s: 4

Top 3s: 3

Wins: 1

Simpson on Sunday:

After opening with 71, day-low 63 and 64, he began solo 2^nd and hit nine (of 14) fairways and 15 greens in regulation.

The North Carolinian lost 0.822 strokes around but gained 0.351 off-the-tee and 1.537 on approach.

He squared two bogeys at holes 7 and 15 (watered tee ball), outpaced by four circles at 5, 10, 17 and 18 (from 17’5”), posting 1.800 putts per GIR and 0.570 SG: Putting with 31 total putts.

For the week, Simpson tallied one eagle (ace) and 21 birdies against six bogeys.

OUT: even-par 35 (1 birdie, 1 bogey); T1 (with Finau)

IN: 2-under 34 (3 birdies, 1 bogey); WINS playoff (over Finau)

Par-4 18^th (437 yards):

In extra time, Finau went first and hit a pull-hook into the church-pew bunkers, leaving 111 yards.

Simpson found the fairway, leaving 119 yards for his second.

Simpson hit his second to 10’5”, while Finau also found the surface, leaving 18’10”.

Finau missed (on the high-side) and Simpson curled in a right-to-lefter to heist the trophy.

By the Numbers:

9/4: Simpson’s revised outright betting entering R4.

3: Simpson’s last three wins have come on TPC Courses (Scottsdale, Sawgrass, Summerlin). He also won the 2011 Deutsche Bank at TPC Boston.

6: Finau’s P2 was his sixth runner-up (against one win) in 151 events, first since solo 2^nd at the 2019 Charles Schwab (Colonial CC) last May.

1407: It’s been 1407 days and 105 starts since Finau’s lone win at the opposite-field Puerto Rico Open in 2016, which he won in a playoff. That’ll be four years ago next month.

3: ASU alum Jon Rahm, the top-ranked OWGRer in the field at No. 3, had a chance to become No. 1 (for the first time) with a win. He finished T9, six short of the playoff (67-68-68-70).

2: Through 16 (non-team) events this season, the pre-tourney fave/co-fave has won two times: Rory McIlroy (6/1) at WGC-HSBC, and Thomas (13/2) at THE CJ CUP. Last season, two fave/co-faves won (in 45 non-team events): McIlroy (12/1 co-fave) at THE PLAYERS, and Collin Morikawa at the opposite-field Barracuda (10/1).

6/1: Rahm, a pre-tourney 6/1 fave outright, ate nine bogeys on the week (T29 in that stat), lowlighted by four in R4, and ranked a lowly 45^th in SG: Around (-0.463).

10: Defender Rickie Fowler (74-65-69-69) finished T37, 10 short of the playoff, and 10 worse than his winning score last year.

50: At the completion of the third round, leader Finau had one bogey (total) and had played his last 50 holes blemish-free. He ended up with only two squares (No. 1 in that stat), but could only muster two birdies in R4 for 17 total (T27 in that stat).

32: Harold Varner III (71-71) MC by 1. Opened with 32 consecutive pars; TOUR record (in ShotLink era).

5: Five (of 21) TOUR rookies were in the field with Harry Higgs taking top-rookie honors for a second consecutive week (T9, Farmers). His T25 was his fifth top 25 of the season in 12 starts.

24: Scottsdale resident Nate Lashley took top-debutant honors and was the only top-10 finisher of 24 first-timers. His T3 was his fourth top 25 of the season in nine starts and second top 10 (T3, Greenbrier).