No kidding, Scott Simpson is worth watching in U.S. Senior Open

SAMMAMISH — You can't look at Scott Simpson without focusing on his smile lines. They're deep and distinguishable, two long, happy marks on each side, dividing his face into three parts, providing a road map for the only emotion he shows.

Simpson bogeyed the final hole at the U.S. Senior Open on Friday, missed a good putt that broke slightly wrong, and he reacted by wincing just long enough to make his ensuing smile more noticeable. The guy grins through everything, even frustration.

It's a fitting trait for a golfer most famous for serving as Bill Murray's comedic wingman at Pebble Beach.

Simpson has the accomplishments to be known for more. He won the 1987 U.S. Open. He played in the Ryder Cup that year. He won seven PGA Tour events during his career. But in 1993, he accepted Murray as a partner at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and for about the next 15 years, Simpson became synonymous with the "Caddyshack" star on that golf course.

It was an ideal pairing that formed when Peter Jacobsen suggested they play together at Pebble Beach. Jacobsen heard that many other golfers had been bothered by Murray's antics the previous year, but he knew his friend Simpson wouldn't be.

Jacobsen was right. The quiet, extremely religious Simpson did more than handle Murray's jokes and funny attire and pranks to entertain the gallery. He complemented the comedian. One year, Murray tossed a banana peel in front of Simpson's feet. He responded by enlisting the help of Paul Stankowski and actor Andy Garcia and throwing whole bananas at Murray.

Now that he's on the Champions Tour, Simpson hasn't played with Murray for a few years. Still, during tournaments, he hears members of the crowd ask, "Hey, where's Bill?"

"It's not a bad thing," Simpson said. "It's been so much fun to play with him. I don't know if you would say it's an honor. Hopefully, we'll do it again. He's great, great fun to play golf with, and you share laughs all the way around."

Simpson isn't bothered that so much of his reputation is tied to playing the straight man in Murray's routine. He estimates that about half of the fans he encounters want to talk about Murray. The other half remember his U.S. Open triumph.

Smiles and kindness aside, Simpson is a serious, consistent golfer. He enters the weekend in contention. He's at 1 over par for the tournament. He'll have to play much better than he did Friday to win, but he has hope.

"I had some ups and downs today," said Simpson, whose wild journey to a 71 included five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey. "I made a couple of chip-ins. I had a four-putt. I bogeyed that last hole. Not a great day.

"I think I'm borderline playing good enough to be right there at the end. I'm hitting the ball pretty straight. I'll keep working to get better for the weekend. Who knows? You just give it a shot and give it your best."

There's that smile again. Simpson maintains his placid personality even when the conversation shifts to his alma mater, USC. The 54-year-old graduated in 1978 and remains a spirited follower of the Trojans, including the recently punished football program.

Like most Trojans, he doesn't understand why the penalties had to be so severe. Simpson also still believes in Pete Carroll, who left USC for the Seahawks and begins training camp Saturday.

"Everybody wonders whether he left because he knew the sanctions were coming, but I think he wanted to prove he could still win in the pros," Simpson said. " ... With Pete Carroll, you know the teams are always going to play hard and have fun. He works real hard, too. It's nice to see good guys win."

Well, right now, many would debate whether Carroll is such a good guy. He must prove himself once more. But there's no question that Simpson is one of the good guys. He lights up when recalling winning his only major 23 years ago.

"I birdied 14, 15 and 16, and I remember putting really well," Simpson said. "I beat Tom Watson by one shot. That was a huge thrill. I couldn't believe I won."

Now he has another chance to get the best of Watson and others at Sahalee Country Club. Simpson will always be the quiet golfer lurking in the background. He's a simple guy, not a storyline.

But he can surprise you. Ask Murray about the bananas. Ask Watson about 1987. For certain, Simpson has a few tricks hiding within those smile lines.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com, Twitter: @Jerry_Brewer