Picture the proverbial fork in the road, one that offers three different paths. Then consider the strength involved in a man’s commitment when he embraces a plan to incorporate all three paths in his life, refusing to shortchange his passions.
Faith. Family. Golf.
In that order, you can be assured, because the glory of Webb Simpson is this: He has a deep soul with which he’s connected and having only recently blown out the candles on his 39th birthday cake there is such a strong commitment to his faith that he insists “that this is what the Lord is leading me to do.”
The words flow with supreme confidence, which is a common testament to those who firmly and unequivocally believe. Skeptics do not shake them, nor do decisions to change the course of their professional career.
“Not once since I made my decision have I second-guessed myself,” says Simpson. “I attribute that to the peace that I have because I know what the Lord has given me.”
The decision in question is to scale back the number of PGA Tour tournaments he’ll play, though in no way can this be categorized as semi-retirement.
Simpson concedes that when he first started thinking this way in early 2023, “I thought my love for the game was dwindling.” Then he realized it wasn’t that. “I still love golf; I still want to compete. It’s just that I love my (faith) and my family and I am just dividing my assets to pursue golf at the highest level while playing less.”
When Simpson took stock of his life and discussed his feelings with his wife, Dowd, his foremost thought circled around oldest child, James, 13, and four daughters down to the age of 5—Willow, Wyndham, Mercy, and Eden Bea. “There’s so much kids’ stuff that I want to see, to be a part of,” says Simpson. “I was missing too much.”
Blessed to be in position to even consider such a plan, Simpson also knew he had earned several more years’ worth of PGA Tour status thanks to two wins in 2020 and the Players Championship in ’18.
He would reduce his schedule. But not his dedication to his craft.
“I have more energy than ever,” says Simpson, who from 2009–20 averaged nearly 25 tournaments per season and a 32nd finish on the FedExCup points list. Translation: He was rock-solid and making in excess of $2 million per year was a given.
Backing off the heavy schedule—19 tournaments in ’23, just 13 in ’24—has produced choppy results (he’s finished 151st and 136th in the FEC standings, respectively), but belief in his plan and in his talents has not wavered.
“That’s because I think he’s got the greatest treasure in life,” says William Kane, who grew up with Simpson in Raleigh, N.C., and considers the 2012 U.S. Open champion “my best friend on the planet.”
Adds Kane: “He believes in Jesus Christ and that he died for our sins. When you think, ‘What if all that is true?’ how wonderful is that? That’s the greatest treasure, to know you already believe.”
Simpson concedes 2024 “was my transition year,” that missing four cuts in 13 starts and failing to record even one top-10 finish “felt like a rookie year.” He wasn’t playing three or four weeks in a row, wasn’t in the sort of rhythm that had always come naturally to him.
But in the fall, Simpson will play in four tournaments and he’s got what he considers to be a blueprint for how he’ll stay in game-shape when 2025 arrives.
“I’m older than I’ve ever been,” laughs Simpson, “but I eat healthier and the body is better than it has ever been.”
He has brought in Joe Mayo (the man who gained praise for his work with Viktor Hovland) to fine-tune that golf swing and chipping game and is adamant that “I can see myself winning multiple times.”
Should you bring up Vijay Singh (22 wins in his 40s) or Steve Stricker (nine of 12 career wins came after he turned 40 and he finished third in the FEC standings when he was 42 and 46), it probably wouldn’t surprise you know that Simpson is well versed on these dogged competitors.
“It’s do-able,” says Simpson.
A member at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., Simpson can call Mackenzie Hughes or Harold Varner III to drum up some competition. Young and talented sticks on the Quail Hollow pro staff are also willing to tee it up with Simpson. “I try to play two money-matches a week,” he says.
Does it keep him as sharp as playing three or four weeks in a row, something he did for more than 10 years? Maybe not yet, but Simpson is fully invested in trying it on for size because the rewards are enormous.
“I love being home and have the schedule down pretty good,” says Simpson. “I can drop the (older) kids off at school and be done by 4:00 p.m. (with his workouts and golf).”
The challenge doesn’t come without built-in concerns because Simpson isn’t blind to the enormously deep pool of young talent that is the PGA Tour. He is undaunted, however.
“That’s what I love about Jesus,” he says. “He is an anchor when things are unsteady.”
Buoyed by years of friendship and two-plus seasons as Simpson’s caddie, Kane has a unique perspective of this changing approach to PGA Tour life.
“His mind is his greatest strength,” says Kane of Simpson, who has never possessed the firepower of some vaunted competitors but always felt he “could gain shots with his mind.”
It will be intriguing to see how it plays out, but Kane is convinced of this: “Webb is very comfortable with his priorities. People cite ‘priorities’ as a talking point or a cliché, but with Webb, his priorities are clearly designed based on his roles.”
