Simpson, Scott

Former PGA Tour veteran and U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson completed his first season as head coach of the University of Hawai‘i men's golf program in 2021-22.

Simpson was hired as head coach on June 25, 2021 after serving as UH women’s golf assistant coach for two seasons helping the Rainbow Wahine post five Top 5 team finishes in a pair of pandemic-shortened seasons.

In his professional career, Simpson won seven times in a 27-year PGA Tour career, including the 1987 U.S. Open. He also recorded 15 runner-up finishes on tour and nine Top 10s in major tournaments. Among his other professional wins include three times on the Japan Tour and four Hawai‘i State Opens including back-to-back in 1993 and ’94.

Simpson joined the PGA Champions Tour in 2005 and won the 2006 Walmart First Tee Open.

The San Diego, Calif., native moved to Hawai‘i full-time in 2014. Upon his return, he was the head golf coach at Le Jardin Academy high school for two years and was involved with the Hawai‘i State Junior Golf Association and the First Tee Hawai‘i program. Simpson has also taught private lessons at Mid-Pacific Country Club and Hoakalei Country Club.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Simpson was a two-time NCAA Championship medalist in 1976 and ’77 and won the Fred Haskins Award as the Collegiate Player of the Year in 1977. He was also a member of the United States Walker Cup team in 1977, the Ryder Cup in 1987, and the Kirin Cup in 1987.