Simpson on Murray: 'He's big-time now': Local Knowledge: Golf Digest

Simpson on Murray: 'He's big-time now'

Saturday, February 19, 2011

NAPLES, Fla. - Scott Simpson is still waiting to hear from Bill Murray after his old friend and longtime partner at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am paired with D.A. Points to win the event for the first time last week.

"I sent him a text. He usually texts back. I guess I'm old news - he's big-time now," Simpson joked at the ACE Group Classic.

Simpson and Murray teamed at Pebble Beach 13 times between 1993 and 2007. Although Simpson always had a blast playing with the actor, his best individual finish was T-36. "He wants nothing more than for the pro to play well," Simpson said. "He really believes that if you relax, you're going to play your best."

The formula certainly worked for Points, who scored his first PGA Tour victory alongside Murray. "Bill called me before Pebble started when he got D.A. as his partner," Simpson said. "I told him that it was a good pairing because D.A.'s a great guy, and it turned out D.A. had always wanted to play with Bill. D.A. really embraced the experience. It was really cool to see."

Simpson expects to talk with Murray next week, and he may see him soon at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am on the Champions Tour.

"Bill's played in the Outback and said he was going to play in it this year if he wasn't in jail," Simpson said. "I told him there are work-release programs."

-- Bill Fields