Scott Simpson - Part 4 (The Majors and Later Years)

Bruce he had a couple of more big PGA victories ahead of him.

Came to the Byron Nelson tournament. TPC at Las Colinas, where he won by one over Billy Mayfair, Cory Pavin and D.A. Weibring. And as you mentioned earlier, we those of us that were fortunate enough to win his tournament there. We got to go to dinner with him a few times. It's a shame they still don't have it actually.

Yeah, it is. Gosh, what a thrill that was so much fun to go with Byron. Here him I remember Nick Price asked him was so. So pirate, tell me about Ky Laffoon. Oh, boy, I could hit it guy was great. And then Byron Byron would remember every shot from like every tournament. He was amazing. In that memory. Yeah, it just lit a great guy. I remember asking him because, you know, he was a man of faith. And I've ever asked him once. So, you know, what did the you know, you're you were at a time when everyone would go out to the bar afterwards. And kind of a rough, rough crowd that you've you had to play with? And what would they think about you as a Christian? He goes, Well, you know, they they kind of would make fun of me for a while, until I started beating them all the time. But then they didn't make fun of me anymore. And he said, he said, All I tried to do was what the good books that he said, and he said, I didn't swear, I didn't drink. And I didn't smoke. So Wow. That's pretty simple. Yeah. But man, he became my real hero and golf, I think because, like Bruce knows the way he lived his life, he was just so thankful and so joyful. He was all the way to the end. And so, you see some people that get kind of cranky, and you know, shoot, look at the money they play for nowadays. You know, Bruce, or you go to truth, Bruce traveled at a Greyhound bus. These guys are traveling private airplanes. You know, there's a chance you could be better. You know, you could say, oh, how come you know? Jesus only, you know, I get that money and stuff but, but he was so thankful. He said, Hey, I made my ranch and I got my ranch and, and the people I met and the joy had just been able to play golf. He said, I've lived a blessed life. And I always thought, Geez, I want to get old like Byron Nelson. That's my that's my real goal in life. I want to be old like Byron Nelson.

Everybody's got their favorite wins. I gotta believe that other than the U.S. Open win. This has got to be one of your favorites.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, what a thrill because he was my hero. And I got him to autograph a few books. And they actually one of the pictures over there he autographed a picture. He was. Yeah, he was my he's probably my golfing hero.

Yeah. Well, you had one other in Yeah. Hey, did that

was back home. You went back home? Didn't you to win your last tournaments. Cool.

Now, what do you think? I don't know. If there's a God thing. Maybe that is a good thing. I don't know. Because here I am. 43 years old. And and I've been playing Okay. I've been playing pretty decent. And I still love playing. But that week when I was in San Diego, there are a few funny things. First of all, Stan Humphries, the quarterback of the San Diego Chargers was my caddy. We were we were kind of neighbors and he had always, he'd always said, hey, you know, it'd be fun to caddy on tour and my caddy was off. And I knew that and so I said, Hey, you want to caddy San Diego? He goes, Oh, yeah, sure. That'd be fun. I always thought I should do my game better than a caddy. So I didn't ask my caddy for much advice or anything. I had friends caddy and I always just wanted someone I could get along with out there for four or five hours much less than I don't need someone to read pots or tell me what iron to hit or anything so Stan caddy but he had played in the as a celebrity in the Pro-Am at the Buick with Skip Kendall on the Wednesday. And so here I remember being frustrated because I couldn't make a putt after the two days I barely made the cut. Well I didn't barely made the cut cut in the middle of the pack. But then and we had a rain delay so the tournament went to 54 holes. And so we played the last round, and I just played great I shot 64 Birdie last hole But still, it looked like the guys that had to finish the back nine. It looked like they were gonna beat me. You know, all they had to do is shoot under par to pass me because I started in the middle of the pack and nobody played good. You know, these guys just couldn't do it. You know these guys, you know, obviously were so nervous about Scott Simpson being ahead of him. You know, Davis Love Tiger Woods. Yeah, I was just so intimidating, I guess. But the one guy, the only guy who birdie last hole was Skip Kendall. And so skip hadn't won yet so anyway, we get to the 18 tee for our playoff and Skip drives up, then I'm there and he looked goes looks over he goes, Stan, what are you doing here? Well, I'm caddying for Scott. Oh, what a crazy world. And yeah, yeah, I just met I had, we both had good drive, Skip hits and in the middle of the green and I'm, I hit a three wood I'm trying to fade it into the off the middle of the green to this right pin. And I over cut it and I'm now I'm short-sided in the rough to this pin. And I remember laying the blade up and saying okay, I'm going to either hit a great shot, or I'm going to look like a complete fool. Because I have to hit this is high for me. And I never did the Mickelson full swing flop. But then I was always pretty good chipper but I had to land it just kind of right on the edge of the green to get it near the hall. So and I knew Skip was on the green side. And I hit a great chip, probably about four feet away. And Skip was putting up everything breaks to the ocean there Torrey Pines and he left it short, three feet. And somehow I made my putt and then he lived his out. And then I won. But what a thrill to win at home. And with my kids were older, so they actually got to see dad win. And yeah, yeah, that was a huge, huge thrill.

So you come off that wintered home, as you say, you're 43 years old, you know, you're not going to play forever. What's kind of going through your mind at this point?

Well, I'm 43. I've just went on tour. So I've got two more years to play the tour. So that's a great feeling then. So I knew I had a job for a while and I knew the Champion Tour was there once I turned 50. And I had talked to actually Dave Stockton he I remember talking to him about the Champions Tour. I said, so what is it like out there Dave and he goes, Scott is the best tour in the world. He says I'm playing every week. He says I I know I'm gonna go home Sunday. He said and not having that cut. Makes a big difference in how you think. Because you know, when there's a cut in the back of your mind, you're always thinking, Okay, I might have to leave Friday night or Saturday morning, or, you know, you don't want to think about it. But you know, it's always a possibility. And yeah, so I knew I'd play when I was 50 and I knew that my kids were going to be off to college. So Cheryl, and I can go travel around and so that was something I was looking forward to. And so yeah, I played a few more years and then I played sporadically after that those 50 But in some ways kind of lost my passion for playing the tour, you know, knowing that, you know, I wasn't working as hard as I should and probably wasn't as competitive as I should be. And I mean, I enjoyed going out there but I also I love being home. So I kind of looked at those last 45 to 50 years is these are years I can spend more time at home and then be ready for the Champions Tour at 50. So yeah, I didn't compete as hard as I probably should up but but that's okay. Yeah, I enjoyed doing what I was doing.

Yeah, let's see if we can just quickly spin through some majors and stuff we didn't talk about starting with the Masters best finish there in 1990 T-seven the year Faldo won how comfortable were you on that Golf Course?

I was not comfortable at Augusta at all. Really? Yeah, I don't know. I never felt like it really fit my game that well even though I was pretty good iron player. And I, I usually make the cut and usually play okay. I know when you're acumen 11 There was one year when 71 where I made the turn and I was in second place and then hit it on 11 And, of course, I don't know whether it was true or not but the the famous line was Hogan always missed it can overwhelm my eyes was you know if I hit the green I miss my shot. So missed it just to the right side, keep it away from that water and then I pulled it with a two iron right at the pin on the left side. It landed just short of the green and bounced back into the waters a really wet week and then made double there and then go to level 12 into looking into the sun and I hit the six iron right the middle of the green little kind of luck will smooth six tire. Did a good walk up there and the marshal goes. Where'd the ball go? I said, I don't know. Kind of like you're the marshal. So it must have we never found it. I lost the ball and 12 Wow. And I guess it flew into the bushes and back in the green because then I went back and there's when I'm looking at my caddy gun. I gotta hit the same club, and I hit six and again right in the middle of the green. It's I went double double and oh, that's a good thing and in and out but not very good at the Masters and I ended up I think this year I came in 11th or something but I don't know. It was back then it was wide off the tee. And I drove it pretty straight. I wasn't really long so I never felt like it was really a great course for me. And the greens are frustrating. You know and free everybody can be so I don't know. I loved it, but it was it wasn't a great week.

You played The Open Championship nine times. You made seven cuts best finish was in 93 when Norman one at Royal St. George's. You finished tied for ninth. What was your favorite open venue?

My favorite was Turnberry. I love Turnberry, it kind of reminded me more of Pebble Beach, which is my favorite course of all time. And yeah, I love Turnberry being more on the water, you know, but I love playing there. But as I've heard some of your other guys talk about back then, when I first started the tour the British Open. It didn't. It didn't count on the tour. So you would spend money to go over there. And when I'm trying to make as as much money as I can on the tour, to secure your card, you have to make sure you get to play next year, or you didn't finish in the top 30 are to try to get in the invitationals you're always trying to finish up there on the tour money list back then the money list meant everything. And so to spend all that time and money to go over there. Geez, I wouldn't do it. So eventually they change that. And when I won the U.S. Open, I felt kind of an obligation that I should go over there. I mean, I loved going there. And I love the courses. It was just so much fun to play something so different. But but it was it was a drag on yet to do that. And then at least at least now the money counts official and it's much more of an incentive to go than it used to be.

Yeah, I can remember Dave Stockton talking about this. And I don't remember the exact year but about 1970 so right before Trevino went over won back to back, the British Open and like 71, 72 Whatever it was, he chose to stay in the U.S. and play in the Milwaukee Open. I think it was the year Dave won, actually, Milwaukee Open purse was 40,000 or the winner got 40,000 I think it was and the British Open winner got 5,000 pounds. So as you said, you could win and it would still cost you money and it didn't count toward your your your winnings,

right? Well, that's the story about Sam Snead going over and winning one time, right? And they said where are you going to come back and defend because No, I spend more money come in then I want.

Yeah, so you you had a cup of coffee on the Senior Tour. You had one when 2006 Wal-mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Another cool place to win if you're gonna win one on the senior tour. That's pretty cool.

It was cool. And yeah, obviously that was a big thrill to win there. And I played good on the senior tour for a while till I got a traffic accident broke my hand but I think after six years, but yeah, I loved it. It was really fun. The senior tours playing with all these guys, you know, as opposed to introducing yourself on the first tee young college kids and it was really fun. And I really enjoyed it for for a long time. And yeah, so at least Yeah, at least I got one way and I had a bunch of seconds I think but yeah, played pretty good out there for quite a while I was always in the top 30 And, and I figured if if you came with top 30 You played pretty good. So yeah, it was fun but to win and Pebble, I do remember coming right down to the end. And I played with Bill Murray and the AT&T there all the time. Well, he played that year and the first, the First Tee Pebble Beach Wal-mart tournament. So he had finished. So he's watching me play a team. Well, earlier that year on the 18th hole, he had actually hold it from like 90 yards in the celebrity challenge, and to win the celebrity challenge, and we always played Wednesday, when the celebrity challenge was and we would go play at Cypress Point. And so I remember because he wanted and he walked up to the grain, picked his ball out of the hole and walked straight off the grain and then came right to Cypress and didn't. And everyone was waiting for him to you know, do something. And so I remember being beaten right, but near the lead. And I always want to know where I am I talked about not like leaderboards. But if I have a chance to win, of course I want to know where I am. And I was playing a good last day and I late I couldn't reach 18 and two like they do now. So late it up, got about 85 yards, and builds up watching. I get over my shot and I take my practice way. Start My Waggle Bill goes, Hey, Scott. I made it to see you know, I made it from here. I'm back again. I started cracking up it was so funny. Of course I played with him. So I knew I'm ready for this. And so I turned to look. Yeah, I know. I said, But no matter what happens, I'm still better than you. But it loosens me up. And the whole reason he did that was trying to get me loose. And so I've Yeah, and so I remember thinking on that shot, not trying to get it close, but I'm thinking I gotta I gotta try to make this thing. And I now I take my practice and I'm thinking knock it in the hole. And I hit it perfect. I mean, just ride to the hole and it spun back. And it almost did go in, spun back about six feet and made that one for birdie and then then had to watch Jay has tried to try to catch me but he couldn't quite do it and ended up winning the tournament. What a thrill. And Bill was right there. That's great. It was really really fun. Gosh, yeah, yeah, we put the we put the trophy on the scores head and we did all kinds of goofy stuff.

So how many years did you play in the Clambake with Bill?

I think it was 14 years. We played together. Oh, boy, and he would have been perfect at the Clambake and he always wished they would have stayed that way. But yeah, but he we had so much fun the first year. Actually the first year he played he played with John Adams first we played in the tournament. John was kind of a journeyman pro. And and John in the paper said they asked him well how was it playing with Bill. John didn't play the ended up missing the card. He said, Well, you know, Bill is a great guy. It was fun, but it was really distracting. You know, kinda kind of tough on my game and and I was on the end of that. I was on the putting green with Peter Jacobson. We're putting and I'm going Peter, can you believe John Adams that want to play with Bill Murray. I said that would be the book as big as Peter knew Bill Murray said, that would be the most fun you could ever have played golf. And Peter and Peter played with Jack Lemmon. So Peter says Yes, got you need to you need to play with Bill. You guys would be perfect together. I said, You need to tell the tournament you want to play with Bill Murray. And I said, Well, I can do that. And my caddy then was Jim MacKay bones. Sure. Yeah, I was I was teaching him everything he needed to know. So you can caddy for that lefty guy, you know, for a couple years. So. So boats there. Yeah, actually. Yeah, he caddied for me half a year after caddying for Larry Mize, and he can't afford me for a year. And so he said, and I think I already knew that he was going to know I didn't know yet that I didn't know yet. But he when he did decide to go with Phil, he said, I just want one thing though. I want to caddy in your group with Bill Murray next year. And so, Bones talked me and he says, Yeah, you got it. You got to tell them. So I told the tournament wrote him a letter. I thought Bill was great for the tournament, because some people thought he was bad for golf, of course. And yeah. And then I said I would love to play with them. And I didn't hear back until about two weeks before. We played the first year. I think it was 93 and said Do you still want to play with Bill Murray? I said absolutely. And we had so much fun. That was a year. We walked up the AK Paul he goes Scott we got to finish He was something really good. What do you think? And I said, I don't know. You're the, you're the guy. You're the funny man. That's when he saw the lady dressed in tweed, just sitting over there. And he, and he, he would always pick out usually older or younger people that that most of us would ignore. And he always tried to make them feel special. And so he brought this lady out. And next thing, you know, they're dancing in the bunker. And then he let her he kind of like, let her go. And she kind of fell. And she disappeared from view. And bones. and I were laughing. We just started cracking up, the whole thing was so funny. And Bill just as cracking up, and he drops dudes back into snow angels in the bunker. And gosh, it was just so funny, man. And so he said, I told him, I said, you know, hey, if you want to play with someone else, you know, there's so many good players. And he goes, No, he says, Scott, we're gonna play together. There's a we got two goals. One is to win the tournament. One is to have the most fun. And we always accomplish at least one of those goals. So yeah, it was pretty fun.

I bet we could do a whole episode just you two guys talking about playing with Bill Murray and your case, Scott or Dean Martin in your case, Bruce?

Couple of great characters right there. That's for sure. So Scott, have you said early that you had listened to our podcasts? So you know that we can't let you off? Right? Without asking three questions, right? I do. Okay, you do know that, don't you?

I do. So I have the advantage of at least being somewhat prepared. As opposed to mostly you spring them on?

Alright, so you know what my first question is? Right. The first one. My first one is, if, if, when you first started on the tour, you knew then what do you know now? What would you have done differently?

I would have asked a lot of questions when I played with Bruce Devlin, at the Western practice route about this. I would have done a lot differently. I would have I struggled with my temper early on. And now I know how bad that is for your golf and there's no point to it. One of the funny stories Well, funny to me. I think I was a rookie playing in San Diego and I used to just I never got mad at the gallery never got mad a score never. It was always up myself. And so I remember on the 18th hole hitting it over the green on the 18th hole Torrey Pines, your your favorite hole there, Bruce, and I think you and hitting a chip and hitting a chip and kind of like flooding the chip leaving way short. And throwing my club at the bag. And the club miss the bag bounces up and hits Larry Nelson under the leg. Like Devin says, oh, bam. I felt so horrible. And I did. I just did dumb stuff like that. You know, I wish I didn't do all that. And I remember years later, actually, just probably not long ago asking Larry said, Larry, do you remember that time when? Gosh, I was a rookie and I threw that club and he hit you in the leg? And Larry goes, Oh, yeah. Yeah, I remember that. He said, Yeah, it hurt. I'm sorry again. But yeah, I think my mindset would be a lot different now. Yeah, hopefully matured a lot. And and I went to see teachers, kind of in the middle of my career, I think in that if I really want to be good. There's probably after I'd won the U.S. Open I, I should really try to learn more. And I think that was a mistake. And I ended up finding a friend at home. That helped me some but yeah, a lot of these teachers kind of messed me up more than they helped me in hindsight. And yeah, I would have probably stick into those stuck to those fundamentals that got me there and just trusted it and trusted it more and I definitely would have not been as shy as I was coming out where I was almost afraid to bother the great players. And now I look back to that man. Because I think that the veterans are more than happy to share anything they know with the younger guys, and I love doing it. But I was almost like too afraid to bother them. You know, and so I wish I would have changed that part. So young people out there that might listen to this. Go ask those veterans and go ask them about what they think about what how do they handle pressure and things like that and what's important to them so yeah, I think they'd be more than happy to share.

That's great advice. And you're right they'd be more receptive than you young kid would probably think.

I think so. I know I I love being able to share with with young kids now.

So let's give you one career Mulligan? Where do you take it?

You know, I've thought about that. And I can't I did miss a three foot or two when the camper were afraid couples won his first tournament. And on the last hole I probably take that putt over again. Of course do I get to know that it breaks harder right than I thought at Kemper Lakes Congressional No, I don't know. You know, I thought that like a do over thought about what I could do over with Payne in the U.S. Open but, you know, I mean, obviously maybe I'd take a shot or two back maybe a shot on 70 but at the same time, I was doing the best I could so I don't know whether it would change anything. I don't remember really blowing anything. Oh, the one thing I would maybe change is I had a five shot five shot lead a Colonial one year I want to say 90s And I was playing so good. And we had rain delays, lot of rain delays and I thought it looked like the tournament is gonna get rained out. I was gonna win by 5, 54 holes. And then we came back Monday is forecast was terrible. But we started and sure enough the weather was okay and I just couldn't make a birdie. And I said I think I shot either even or one over and Nick Price shot 64 and tied me and then birdied the last hole, or birdied the playoff hole 18 to beat me. And that tournament. There's one that I really wish I could have won. Because that definitely is one of my favorite golf courses too, love Colonial. And that would probably be where I'd say if I could take some shot over there. Could give me that win. I'd love to have that jacket.

That was 1994

94. I thought it was 94 Darn Nick Price probably more darn Scott Simpson. Why don't you make a few more birdies?

Yeah, that's right. So Mr. Simpson. How would you like to be remembered?

Oh. I'd say kind of like a lot of these guy like a nice guy, I guess is I guess something. Hopefully, uh, give back to the game a little bit because the game sure gave me a lot. I just love Yeah, I just love the game of golf. I think as I've gotten older I appreciate it more the the lessons you've learned from golf, the character that you can build from handling the frustrations and disappointments and and hopefully handling the victories the right way. And Peter Jacobson and I would always talk about how there was so much money coming into the game, that we thought these guys would be all spoiled. And you look at them now they're traveling private planes and everything, but they seem like great guys. And, you know, you look at some of the great players of today like a speaker Schaeffler, you know Rickie Fowler and he gonna go right down the list. And most of these guys are really, most of them are really good, guys, and they give back to you. They're nice to people. And they're not really cocky and arrogant. And I think it's the nature of the game. I think the game is just so hard. And then you can't it's hard to get cocky because soon as you are fighting, you're gonna get knocked right off your pedestal. So I hope I just love the game. I would I would be all for the ball going back, you know, so that the courses aren't so long, but other than that, you always have to chip in and bite it. You got to try to hit fairways. I just love the game of golf. So be remembered. I don't know I don't really think about it. But my goal is to be kind of like a Byron Nelson way be remembered as a guy who ah, with gratitude and joy and and just being thankful for this. His his great life I've been able to leave, that's for sure.

Well, we've been thankful. We mean thankful today to have Scott Simpson with us. It was a we had a great time. rear and we love listening to your stories. And we thank you for all your time. And I know Mike feels the same way as I do. It's been a pleasure having you with us, Scott.

Well, it's been great to be here. And thanks for having me be part of this great thing you're doing. I think I think it's really fantastic. And yeah, I've got a lot to look forward to listen to a lot more of them to tell you the truth. And thanks for doing this. You guys are putting a lot of time and effort into this. And I think it's a great thing that will be remembered for a long time.

Well, thanks for being with us. And thanks for being a fan of "FOREthe Good of the Game."

Oh, yeah. Even that Bing Crosby song which I can't get out of my head. It's great. Thanks.

Thank you for listening to another episode of for the good of the game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe. Spread the word. Tell your friends until we tee it up again, FORE the Good of the Game. So long everybody