Webb Simpson ties career low in PGA Tour debut with short putter

If Round 1 of the Sony Open in Hawaii was any indication, Webb Simpson should’ve made the switch to a conventional putting stroke a long time ago.

In his first PGA Tour round with a conventional putter and stroke, Simpson shot 8-under 62, setting a new career low on the tour, to share the lead with Paul Casey at Waialae Country Club in the year’s first full-field tournament. The 2012 U.S. Open champion needed just 23 putts to get around, including 10 on the back nine, which was the course’s front side.

“It was one of my best putting rounds I’ve ever had to be honest,” he said.

Simpson, who tried the conventional putter in November at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan, turned to his faith to calm his pre-round anxiety.

“Today was a big day for me,” he said. “I was extremely nervous, first round on the PGA Tour with a short putter, but I just had a couple [Bible] verses in my yardage book today that I kept reading, and I stayed calm.”

On Jan. 1, 2016, the anchored putting stroke, which Simpson had been using in tandem with a belly putter since he was in college, will be banned. The Wake Forest product chose to make the change now instead of waiting until the end of the year and feeling more forced into it.

Now on a new path forward, Simpson is hopeful he can keep the good vibes going for the rest of the week.

“Trust and freedom were two big words for me today,” he said, “and I was able to do that all day.”

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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