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Timothy Jay Simpson (born May 6, 1956) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour, and currently plays on the Champions Tour.
Simpson was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended high school at Woodward Academy where he was the Atlanta Junior Champion, Georgia Junior Champion and Westlake National Junior Champion. He attended the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and was a member of the golf team. He left college early and turned professional at age 20. He earned his tour card at 21 years, 2 months.
Simpson's first win in professional golf came at the 1982 Cacheral World Championship in Nimes, France. His first PGA Tour win came three seasons later at the 1985 Southern Open. His career year was 1989 when he captured the PGA Tour's Comeback Player of the Year award, and won two Tour events: the USF&G Classic and the Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic. He had another good year in 1990: repeating as Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic Champion, and posting his best finishes in the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. Simson was awarded the 1990 Georgia Professional Athlete of the Year award. He has 66 Top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events.
Simpson's PGA Tour career was brought to a sudden end due to his contracting Lyme disease on a hunting trip in 1991, and the neurological pathological condition resulting from it. He has had brain surgery and spinal fusion surgery. In his late thirties and forties, his health improved enough to allow him to play some on the Nationwide Tour. His best finishes in this venue were a 2nd at the 1995 NIKE Buffalo Open and a T-2 at the 1995 NIKE South Carolina Classic.
During his career Simpson was called one of the greatest ball strikers in the game's history by golfing greats Butch Harmon, Jack Nicklaus, and Johnny Miller.Early in his career, he was mentored by long-time friends, Sam Snead and J. C. Snead.
Simpson was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 2006. He began play on the Champions Tour in 2006. He lives in Greensboro, Georgia with his wife Leigh Ann and their four children.
Amateur wins
- 1975 Palmetto Invitational College Tournament
- 1976 Southern Amateur
Professional wins (9)
PGA Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 6, 1985 | Southern Open | −16 (64-64-69-67=264) | 2 strokes | Clarence Rose |
| 2 | Mar 26, 1989 | USF&G Classic | −14 (68-67-70-69=274) | 2 strokes | Greg Norman, Hal Sutton |
| 3 | Oct 21, 1989 | Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic | −16 (65-67-70-70=272) | 1 stroke | Donnie Hammond |
| 4 | Oct 20, 1990 | Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic | −24 (64-64-65-71=264) | 1 stroke | John Mahaffey |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1989 | Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic | Mike Donald, Hal Sutton | Donald won with birdie on fourth extra hole Sutton eliminated with par on third hole |
| 2 | 1990 | Doral-Ryder Open | Paul Azinger, Mark Calcavecchia, Greg Norman | Norman won with eagle on first extra hole |
Other wins (5)
- 1980 Georgia Open (tie with Bob Tway)
- 1981 Georgia Open, Cacharel World Under-25 Championship
- 1984 Georgia Open
- 1987 Georgia Open
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T18 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | |||||||||
| U.S. Open | T37 | T43 | T32 | T11 | T46 | CUT | T14 | CUT | CUT | T5 | T26 | CUT | |||
| The Open Championship | T45 | T12 | T57 | ||||||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | CUT | T36 | T25 | CUT | CUT | T43 | CUT | T27 | T8 | CUT |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 8 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 5 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 32 | 17 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1983 U.S. Open – 1985 U.S. Open)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (twice)
U.S. national team appearances
- Four Tours World Championship: 1990