Aug 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson returns
to a "perfect" venue where he enjoyed "the most important week"
of his career for his title defence at the Wyndham Championship
in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Twelve months ago, Simpson clinched his maiden victory on
the PGA Tour by three shots, after two near-misses earlier in
the season, and he is excited to be back at Sedgefield Country
Club as the title holder.
"I was looking forward to this week ever since last year
winning here," Simpson, who lives in nearby Raleigh, North
Carolina, told reporters on Wednesday ahead of Thursday's
opening round. "All my memories here are just awesome.
"To break through, have my first victory here an
hour-and-a-half from where I grew up and an hour-and-a-half from
where I live now... it was a perfect place to break through and
win."
Simpson was especially delighted to finally silence all the
questions over his ability to triumph on the U.S. circuit.
"The number of times I put myself in position to win and
didn't get it done, I took the positives from those experiences
and learned from them," he said.
"I was playing really well coming in this week last year and
I didn't expect to win but I felt confident that I could win. I
don't think I would have won Boston or the U.S. Open had I not
won here."
Simpson's breakthrough catapulted him into the spotlight as
he went on to win his second title at the Deutsche Bank
Championship just two starts later before ending his 2011
campaign second in the FedExCup standings and the money list.
He then trumped all of that when he clinched his first major
title by one shot at the U.S. Open in June after overhauling
overnight leaders Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell in the final
round.
BIRTH TIME
Though Simpson missed the cut in last week's PGA
Championship at Kiawah Island, he was not overly concerned as it
was his first start in a month as he took time off to be with
his wife for the birth of their second child.
"I'm kind of relieved I'm back in competition now. I got the
rust off. It will help this week and I got to go home a couple
of days extra," the 27-year-old said, referring to his missed
cut in the season's final major.
"I wasn't planning on it but with the stretch I have coming
up I think in the end it will be a blessing in disguise.
"Having family just keeps things in perspective and, I'm
okay if I don't play well this week. Will coming into the world
has reminded me of that already."
This week's event has attracted a strong field as it is the
last stop in the regular season before the PGA Tour's lucrative
end-of-season finale gets under way next week.
Only the top 125 players after this week qualify for the
first of the four FedExCup playoffs, the Aug. 23-26 Barclays
tournament, and several notable names are on the outside looking
in.
Former PGA Championship winner Yang Yong-eun lies 129th in
the FedExCup standings with long-hitting Gary Woodland (130th),
John Daly (137th), Camilo Villegas (146th) and Robert Karlsson
(154th).
All five players are competing this week.
"I'm not too concerned about it (qualifying)," said American
Woodland, who is finally pain-free after a lingering wrist
injury that forced him to withdraw from this year's Masters.
"I'm happy to be healthy, finally healthy this year. I did
some great things last week. Come out here and play well this
week."
Woodland, who won his maiden PGA Tour title at last year's
Transitions Championship, injured his left wrist during the
third round of the Masters at Augusta National in April.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by
Alison Wildey)