Webb Simpson hoping his Olympic Club vibes help at Chambers Bay

 

Webb Simpson was interested in grabbing a sandwich last month from the famous hamburger stand at The Olympic Club, the site of his 2012 U.S. Open win, for an opportunity to satisfy a craving.

 

Then Simpson saw an opportunity to not only satisfy his hunger, but his curiosity.

 

Simpson, who was in San Francisco in early May for the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship, had made the short drive to The Olympic Club across Lake Merced for one of the Lake Course snack bar's Bill Burgers.

 

"It was kind of spontaneous," Simpson said. "I knew the USGA had its Four-Ball event out there that week, but I was with a buddy, Brad Payne, and we drove by the club and we thought we might as well go get one of those burgers."

 

Simpson had also wondered what it would be like to recreate the chip and putt on the final hole that saved par and secured his first major, but he had failed to bring his clubs.

 

"But everything fell into our lap that day," Simpson said. "The (snack) bar was closed, but the (cook) was there and she cooked for us.

 

"Then we saw a random (golf) cart, it had a key in it, and we drove to the 18th green. I turned to Brad and said, 'Wouldn't it be great if I'd brought my clubs so we'd have a wedge and a couple of golf balls?' "

 

As he finished his sentence, Simpson looked in the back of the cart.

 

"There was a sand wedge and two golf balls," he said. "It was unbelievable. I call it divine. I really do. What were the chances? It wasn't her cart. She didn't know whose cart it was.

 

"We came back to the (snack bar) and the burgers were great. That was a fun day."

 

Playing in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay outside Seattle, Washington, will, undoubtedly, bring back memories of winning his first major three years ago farther down the West Coast.

 

Simpson's U.S. Open victory boosted a career that was established. Simpson, 29, had won his first two PGA Tour titles the previous season, but winning the major opened doors.

 

"The immediate impact is it set up my schedule where I could play where I wanted," he said. "It was definitely a blessing to know what tournaments I was going to be in as opposed to waiting throughout the year to see how I played.

 

"I knew I was going to be in every big tournament for the next five years, which was a tremendous blessing. And it gave me confidence to feel I was one of the top players. And it was fun to do on that stage."

 

This article was written by Phil Stukenborg from Commercial Appeal and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.