The kid had it locked up. It was astonishing watching the actuarial formula all weekend fluctuate Webb Simpson between “1” and “2” and occasionally “3” all weekend as Webb bobbed up and down like a barrel in a stream.
Webb Simpson finished second in the FedEx Cup series in just his second year, but he impressed every golf writer from Seattle to Sarasota.
“The kid had a heck of a year,” said one old salty dog of a veteran sports writer. “He makes a good case for Player of the Year” and it’s going to be a tough decision, one I’ll need to think about for a while.”
Both Ryan Ballengee of NBC – and soon Golf Channel – and CBS’ Steve Elling mentioned in articles that were he to win the FedEx Cup, he’d be the frontrunner. Other writers agree.
Ballengee notes that Wake Forest should be happy with a 1-2 finish. Are they America’s Golf U? Probably.
Then Ballengee cracks me up with this one-line gem:
“The East Lake chef isn’t quite as good of a costume as Cigar Guy.”
I’ll pause while you catch your breath from laughing.
Still, despite Atlanta treating him so badly this year – twice no less – Simpson is our Sir Percival, just with a 5-iron, not the Holy Grail. He adds sincere value to the game as opposed to the insincere value of a made-for-sponsors phony like Woods. They will make quite the contrast in Melbourne won’t they? One with the hiss of the World against him, the other with America’s hopes and the World’s esteem on his shoulders as our new bright star. While Tiger the person is far less substantial than his work, Webb is not. He is more substantial than his persona or his golf talent. He is the true role model, the un-Woods.
The true difference between Webb and Woods is that Webb knows that it isn’t what he does for a living that makes him great, it’s what he does for others, something Woods never understood and even rejected. That’s why when Woods betrayed us all – after we gave him the moon the stars and the Sun – we kicked him to the curb with the resounding thud he richly deserved.
As for Webb – we don’t have to worry. He’s the real deal. At last golf has something pure. And although today was a learning experience, it won’t be long before he wins his first major: maybe next year at Olympic Club.
In the mean time, the vote for PoY can wait a little longer. Let’s see what the kid next month does wearing the Stars and Stripes. I’ll bet you a dollar to a donut he says more in three days than Woods said in three years. It won’t be hard, though, will it?
