Webb Simpson, After Winning U.S. Open, Keeps On Smiling CROMWELL, Conn. - The sound of cheers reverberated Thursday from the first tee at T.P.C. River Highlands, where they greeted the marquee group of Keegan Bradley, Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson as they began the first round of the Travelers Championship. Wally Irish, a 65-year-old resident of Manchester, Conn., said he had been attending the tournament since his high school days. He recalled witnessing a parade of champions like Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Charlie Sifford. But this was the first time in the event's six-decade history that the three most recent major winners were playing together. The loudest cheers were reserved for Simpson, who was introduced for the first time as the United States Open champion. "I never really dreamed that I would hear that," Simpson said, "but when I heard it, I kind of smiled inside." Simpson had plenty of reasons to smile during the first round. He shot a four-under-par 66, good for a tie for fifth place. He and the rest of the field are chasing David Mathis, whose six-under 64 included a hole-in-one at the par-3 11th. It was the type of day when hordes of businessmen contrived excuses to play hooky. They lined the first tee 10 deep. "We couldn't get near it," Irish said. Watson and Simpson started as hot as the temperature, which climbed to 98 degrees. They both birdied the first hole before Watson, the 2010 Travelers champion, walloped his tee shot 330 yards at the 341-yard second, a par-4 that turns slightly right and climbs to a green with deep bunkers at its slopes. Watson's shot found a shady spot near a tree to the right of the green. His bump-and-run chip from 57 feet hit the flagstick for a kick-in birdie. At the 10th hole, Watson did not let the pin get in his way, holing his sand wedge from 137 yards in the left rough for an eagle. From there, he skated along with a string of pars and a bogey at the par-3 16th hole to match Simpson's 66. Simpson still has not had a chance to drink in his victory at the Open last week. In the first heady days after his title, Simpson fielded a series of offers to appear on late-night television shows, but he politely declined so he could honor an earlier commitment to one of his sponsors. Simpson says he knows he is entering uncharted territory. Some first-time major winners succumb to the pressure to live up to their heightened reputations. They chase the spoils of victory. That elusive second major title proves more daunting than the first. "I feel fortunate that I experienced a little bit of that last year when I won for the first time," Simpson said. I'm a people-pleaser, so I'm going to have to get used to saying no. He received that advice from Watson, who has been adjusting to his instant fame while in the grip of a slump since his Masters victory. He missed back-to-back cuts at the Memorial and the Open. Watson chalked it up to a lack of practice and poor putting. From Watson, Simpson also received a lecture on what to expect after his elevated public recognition. He told Simpson all about being besieged by autograph-seekers, adding: "I told him: "You're going to have more fans. You're going to have more people wanting you to sign, and your agent's going to have more things for you to do. You're going to have to be able to say no. You're the boss." " Some of Simpson's best advice came unsolicited: an e-mail from Tom Watson, a voice mail message from Greg Norman, and a note from Arnold Palmer. "Some other guys such as Hale Irwin, who I've never met," Simpson said. Just guys that are legends of the game that have told me some things that I would have paid for. Bradley, the 2011 P.G.A. Championship winner, carded a two-under-par 68. His advice to Simpson was simple. "I told him to enjoy it," he said, "because before you know it six months will have passed." What Simpson is most looking forward to now is the birth of his second child. His wife, Dakota, is due in August. The depth of his conviction was best illustrated by his decision to skip the British Open in July rather than risk missing his child's arrival. Some memories, he said, are too precious. "I have the rest of my life to play in the British Open," Simpson said. For now, he said he was content to focus on golf, to tell a joke to Bradley walking up the second fairway, to bump fists after Watson's eagle. "The beauty of those guys is we're all similar age and we're all competitors and we love hanging out," Simpson said. But we love trying to beat each other. So it's just a fun atmosphere to be in.