ATLANTA Webb Simpson could spend days rethinking all that did and didn't happen that left him 15 points shy of winning the FedEx Cup and its $10-million bonus that went to Bill Haas on Sunday at the Tour Championship.

There were Simpson's slow starts Friday, Saturday and Sunday, forcing him to play catch up. There was his disobedient driver that couldn't find enough fairways. There was Aaron Baddeley's inability to hold the Sunday lead, because a Baddeley victory would have swung the points race to Simpson.

It could go on and on but Simpson won't let it.

"I won't take any negatives from it. It's been a great year," said Simpson, who finished 22nd and was forced to rely on help to win the points race he led entering the final playoff event.

"A little disappointed I didn't play any better, but I'm pretty tired right now and it's kind of shown up in my golf game this week."

So good over the five weeks leading into the Tour Championship with two wins, Simpson wasn't the same player in Atlanta. He worked at it, searching to solve the mystery that had become his golf game when the FedEx Cup was there to win.

Simpson never found the answer, though consecutive birdies midway through the back nine Sunday helped keep him in the ever-changing points swirl. In fact, it wasn't until Baddeley's long birdie putt on the 18th hole missed that Simpson's chance of winning ended -- while he watched from a table in the East Lake clubhouse.

Before the tournament, Simpson said it would be easy to relax in a 30-player field with an $8-million purse (beyond the points bonus). He was right.

"I (said) it's easy to relax in this environment," Simpson said. "I said I was going to fight against that but I kind of fell victim to it. It was almost a lack of nerves starting the week. I almost wish I was more nervous.

"(Sunday), my caddie (Paul Tesori), we were both kind of excited because we were both nervous. Usually in the past when I'm nervous, I focus a little better and play a little better. But it was my driver pretty much all week. Irons were fine, putter was fine. I just never got the ball in the fairway (just 21 of 56 fairways)."

During the final round, Simpson tried to keep his mind off what was happening around the golf course. It wasn't until the 13th hole that Tesori, sensing the FedEx Cup slipping away, told Simpson he needed to make five birdies coming in. Simpson got the first two but not the others.

His 22nd-place finish was easily his lowest in the four playoff events and only his second finish out of the top 20 since The Players Championship in May.

"Webb Simpson played the best golf of anyone in the playoffs. It just worked out for me here," Haas said after his double victories at East Lake.

Note

Tiger Woods has hired longtime Fred Couples caddie Joe LaCava, The Associated Press reported. Two people aware of the deal said LaCava decided to leave Columbia native and former Coastal Carolina star Dustin Johnson.

ASSOCIATED PRESS