Surprise — Scott Simpson is the new University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine assistant golf coach.

Simpson’s greatest golf accomplishments always seemed to come as a surprise. But when you looked back, maybe not so much, which is maybe a great sign for Wahine golf.

College golf dates back to 1897. Only seven guys won two national championships in a row, including Simpson in 1976 and 1977 while at USC. Others include Ben Crenshaw and Phil Mickelson, but no one named Tiger.

But really, why not Simpson? He was a great junior golfer in San Diego and his father, Joe, reached the final of a U.S. Senior Amateur.

The first U.S. Open was in 1895. Scott Simpson won that most coveted crown 92 years later, overtaking legend Tom Watson at the legendary Olympic Club.

And really, why should that have been a surprise? Simpson won four times on the Japan tour and six on the PGA Tour. He would win again on the Champions Tour.

Now Simpson has volunteered to become the UH assistant. It came out of nowhere, after a chance conversation with head coach Stephen Bidne about one of Simpson’s students.

Teaching the game

But why not? Simpson’s wife Cheryl is from here and they have basically “retired” to Kailua after Scott collected $12 million playing professional golf. He teaches the game now and had to give up coaching Le Jardin to take the UH gig.

Maybe more than anything, Simpson’s kind and thoughtful personality is perfect for his new position.

“Not only does Scott have a deep passion for teaching the game of golf, he is an unbelievably positive and encouraging person who will easily connect with the players and tie in perfectly with the culture that we have instilled in our program,” Bidne says. “Having the opportunity for our players to learn from a former U.S. Open champion and multiple PGA Tour winner on a routine basis will be such a great resource. I can’t wait for both the players and myself to learn from Scott, and to get the season started.”

It begins in less than two weeks in Utah. Megan Ratcliffe and Malia Ebersberger, both communications majors, are the only seniors on the roster. Zoey Akagi-Bustin (`Iolani) has transferred home from New Mexico and joins freshman Kralyn Salazar as new faces.

Simpson has been Akagi-Bustin’s teacher since her junior years. He can’t wait.

“What I am looking forward to the most is just being able to help the players and see them improve,” he says. “I will do all I can to help them work on anything they want and I’m sure that will be different for all the players. But being able to see someone improve is so rewarding and it’s why I have enjoyed teaching so much.”

Eager to learn

The seniors were excited and ecstatic when they heard the news.

“I was at a loss for words,” says Ebersberger, whose father J.D. is a former Aloha Section PGA President. “I immediately picked up the phone and called my dad, who was also very excited for both me and our team.

“I would love to get all the pages from his (Simpson’s) book, but I think most importantly I would love to pick his brain about how he was able to be so successful on both platforms, college and the PGA Tour, along with the mind-set that he trained with to be such a successful athlete.”

Ratcliffe led the Wahine in scoring average last season and took 11th in the Big West Championship. The Canadian is also anxious to hear what Simpson learned over 50 years of golf at the highest level.

“More than anything, I want to learn from Scott’s experiences,” she says. “Not a lot of people have accomplished what he has. I think that with having him here, he will be able to teach me how to stay calm in tough situations. I get nervous playing in college events and Scott has gone into the last day of a major event holding the lead, so I think he will be able to help us learn from what he has gone through.”

After Bidne’s memorable rookie season — a tournament title and the program’s sixth medalist (Kaci Masuda), along with co-Coach of the Year honors — the Wahine were a disappointing eighth in the Big West last season.

Simpson, with his history and amiable personality, might be able to simply talk them into a higher finish than that. More than most, he knows it goes far beyond swing and stroke.

“Maybe more important is learning to handle frustration, deal with pressure and how to keep good rounds going,” he says. “I will encourage our team to excel in their courses, and score low on the courses. I hope they can be like me and look back on their college golf experience as one of the most fun and meaningful times of their lives.”

‘Birdies for ’Bows’

The Wahine are again having a Birdies for ’Bows campaign, asking followers to pledge 50 cents and up per birdie. Funds raised will go toward improved equipment and other needs.

Hawaii has 10 tournaments this year. The players collected 242 birdies last year. For more information, visit hawaiiathletics.com and follow links to Wahine golf.