- DOB: 08/08/1985
- Born: North Carolina, USA
- Height: 6ft 2in
Simpson played on the same Walker Cup team as Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler but after a quiet first few years on Tour no-one would have dreamt that he would go on to outperform the Ryder Cup duo on the PGA Tour in 2011.
Near-miss second places at the Transitions Championship in March and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in May suggested that the big-hitting American was one to watch and in the second half of the season he became one of the hottest players on Tour.
The highlights were a first Tour victory, on home soil at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina, quickly followed by a second in the Deutsche Bank Championship - the second leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs.
By the final event of the season, Simpson looked all set to win the US Money List but he was denied in dramatic fashion when Luke Donald roared through the field to win the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic at Disney.
Nevertheless it was still a year to remember for Simpson, who finished 2011 ranked first on the PGA Tour's All-Around Ranking (a measure of driving distance, accuracy, iron play, bunker play, putting, birdies and eagles).
Simpson also dipped his toe into the majors for the first time and showed plenty of future potential by finishing tied 14th on his US Open debut and tied 16th in his first appearance in The Open Championship.
He gained more experience when playing a leading role in the Americans' Presidents Cup victory over the Internationals in Australia so his ability to handle the big occasion and a game that has no weaknesses suggests Simpson is a player to watch carefully on his Masters debut.
