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THE NORTHERN TRUSTAugust 9, 2019Webb SimpsonJersey City, New Jersey Q. What are the details of what happened with the driver? WEBB SIMPSON: I hit a funny one on 3, and because it was so funny, I looked at the face and it was cracked. Paul saw it was cracked. Dustin, Jon, everybody saw it was cracked immediately. I always carry a backup driver with me. I have for years. The rule has been, if it's cracked, you can go -- the rules official, you can get your other one. But the rule's changed, so I couldn't change. Q. But you kept hitting it; right? WEBB SIMPSON: No. I hit it -- I hit it three more times -- four more times. But then like on 16, would I have hit driver; I hit 3-wood. 17, driver. 18, driver. So yeah, it was unfortunate, I couldn't do it. Q. What does it feel like when you hit it when it's cracked? WEBB SIMPSON: Sometimes it feels like hollow or thin, but it didn't feel that way. Sometimes it doesn't feel different and you can look down and see that it's messed up. I had some funny flying shots with it, that's for sure. Q. But you have a backup here? WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah. Q. Did you know about the rule change? WEBB SIMPSON: No. There's a lot of rules that I don't know. Honestly a lot of players are still really confused. My ball rolled today on the fifth hole. Nobody knew what to do. And everybody's going to say, well, you guys should know the rules. Well, there's hundreds of rules to know. They changed the rules a few years ago, and they have edited some of those rules since. So it's -- nobody is going to agree with the rule and the driver that they have changed. The consensus among me and the other guys I was with and the other players in the rain delay was if it it's cracked in the driver -- it's cracked. What harm is done by letting me switch, you know, heads? So I don't know the answer to that. I don't know why they changed it. I'd love to know. So glad it didn't cost me a missed the cut, but it's unfortunate. I feel like it cost me a few shots. Q. Did you have one this year -- not to bring up back memories -- WEBB SIMPSON: I can't remember but I almost had a penalty on the caddie standing behind you rule at Phoenix. I almost had a penalty there, but then they changed that. Q. But to start the year, what's kind of funny, you got the first advantage of the new rule -- WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, at Maui. I guess on the fifth hole, yeah, it was in the rough. Yeah, I didn't even know that rule changed. So it's a lot to keep up with. Yeah, I know they are trying to help us. I know they are trying to grow the game, but this driver -- this cracked thing's tough because there's a lot of judgment now that's laid upon our rules officials to judge whether or not, as he said, metal's separated. He's got to be able to see through a magnifying glass metal separated, where the old rule was, if it's cracked, it's cracked. There are these hairline fractures that look like cracks, but this one, it's about an inch and a half long and you can tell it's messed up. No fault of our rules official. He made a good call. But I think the way the rule is written should be edited. Q. What's the ball flight like when you hit it? WEBB SIMPSON: Mine was low and left. It didn't fly anywhere. Q. Do they carry a magnifying glass with them? WEBB SIMPSON: He had one. He had to putt it an eighth of an inch from the driver. Here's my thing: If you have to putt your face on the driver to see if it's cracked, the rule need to be changed. You can see it. Jon agrees. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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