Wyndham Championship 2012: Why Webb Simpson Will Win Back-to-Back Titles

Webb Simpson’s first career PGA Tour win came last year at the Wyndham Championship, and he’s in great position to win it for the second straight year.

Simpson won in Greensboro, North Carolina after finishing 18-under par and three strokes ahead of George McNeill, who finished in second place.

Simpson didn’t start so hot—sitting at three-over par through the first four holes—but stayed composed to finish at four-under on Day 1. He rarely stumbled the rest of the way and was brilliant on the greens. He only needed 1.684 putts per green in regulation, which was the second best at the championship. Some of that putting greatness helped him sink three eagles over the course of the tournament.

Playing his second Wyndham Championship, Simpson put together a successful opening round to place him close to the top of the leaderboard. Simpson was flawless on the front nine, shooting a two-under par, and if it weren’t for a bogey on the Par 4 11th hole, he would've had a perfect round. Simpson would birdie three holes on the back nine to finish at four-under par.

Simpson shouldn’t have any trouble with the 11th hole going forward, which would give reason to believe he could win again. Last year, he never shot par in the 11th in each round. This year seemed to just be a fluke, and now that he knows what he can’t do at that hole, he shouldn’t have any issues correcting it.

A good sign from Simpson already is that he played well on the holes that gave him trouble last year. He had three bogeys and one double bogey in the tournament in 2011, with the most trouble coming on the Par 4 fourth hole. He faltered on that fourth in the first and third rounds, but did birdie it in the second round.

Another good sign is that his putting has still been stellar. He only averaged 1.692 putts per green in regulation, which is just around what he averaged when he won last year. His driving accuracy (64 percent) could be improved, but I wouldn’t think that his driving would cost him the title once again. In fact, he’s actually more accurate so far than he has been on the season.

Simpson is down several strokes at the moment, but he knows this course better than anyone else competing this week and weekend. That gives him a solid advantage no matter how many strokes he’s behind, because he’ll always have the ability to sink a putt that he read better than a competitor.

It’s only been one round for Simpson, but he’s clearly the favorite to win his second straight Wyndham Championship.