The new reigning national champion in professional golf is a former North Carolina High School Athletic Association golf champion.

Webb Simpson made big news in the world of golf recently as the PGA golfer won the U.S. Open championship— and the top prize of $1,440,000– at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. It was Simpson’s third PGA crown and first major championship. The 26-year-old and his family currently live in Charlotte.

A star golfer at Wake Forest University, where he was Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2008, Simpson was the 2004 NCHSAA 4-A individual golf champion representing Raleigh Broughton.

Simpson shot rounds of 70 and 71 in the state championship for a 141 total in Pinehurst to lead the Caps to the team championship with a score of 590.