Toms rallies to land Colonial
Source: Agencies |
May 24, 2011, Tuesday
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DAVID Toms threw up both arms up in the air and a smile took over his face when he finally regained the lead at Colonial. This time, he didn't let it get away.
A day after blowing a seven-stroke advantage to go into the final round trailing Charlie Wi by one, Toms made an eagle with a wedge shot from 83 yards at par-5 11th hole on Sunday to take the lead for good and went on to his first PGA Tour victory since January 2006.
The 44-year-old Toms closed with a 3-under 67 at Hogan's Alley in Fort Worth, Texas, to get to 15 under. His long-elusive 13th career victory came a week after a playoff loss to K.J. Choi at The Players Championship, his sixth runner-up finish since last winning.
"That just took a lot of guts, that's really all," Toms said. "That's what I got by on today."
Wi shot a 69, ending up a stroke back for his fourth career runner-up finish without a win.
After that playoff loss at TPC Sawgrass, Toms had an opening 62 at Colonial for his best score in 429 rounds - since a career-best 61 during his last victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Toms followed with another bogey-free 62 to match the PGA Tour scoring record for the first 36 holes of a tournament (124), and opened the third round with another birdie.
At 17 under through 37 holes and seemingly in control, Toms instead had three bogeys in the next five holes.
There was later a three-putt from 7-1/2 feet for double bogey and Wi took the lead with a 32-foot birdie at the par-3 16th on Saturday.
Wi, the 39-year-old South Korean who made his 100th cut on the PGA Tour this weekend, extended his lead to three strokes after consecutive birdies to open Sunday's round.
Toms, his playing partner, missed both greens but managed pars.
Toms finally caught up at 13 under after Wi missed the green with his approach at the par-4 10th and two-putted from 13 feet for a bogey.
Then came the clincher on Colonial's longest hole, the 635-yard 11th.
After laying up to a perfect spot short of the green, and Wi's ball sitting in a frontside bunker, Toms' wedge shot bounced once, landed just behind the pin and then rolled back into the cup.
"When something like that happens, it's like it's meant to me," Toms said.
Toms pumped his arms over his head before Wi blasted to 4-1/2 feet for a birdie putt that still had him a stroke behind.
Wi then hit out of the same fairway bunker twice at the par-4 12th hole after his errant drive.
He managed a bogey after finally hitting out of the fairway to 7 feet, but Toms' 5-foot par stretched his lead to two strokes.
Toms became the first player on the PGA Tour to rebound from a playoff loss one week to winning the next since 2000, when Phil Mickelson won at Colonial after losing in a playoff at the Byron Nelson Championship.
Bo Van Pelt (65) finished third at 10 under.
Defending Colonial champion Zach Johnson also shot a closing 65 to finish at 9 under in fourth place, while Robert Karlsson (67) and Chez Reavie (68) were 8 under.
A day after blowing a seven-stroke advantage to go into the final round trailing Charlie Wi by one, Toms made an eagle with a wedge shot from 83 yards at par-5 11th hole on Sunday to take the lead for good and went on to his first PGA Tour victory since January 2006.
The 44-year-old Toms closed with a 3-under 67 at Hogan's Alley in Fort Worth, Texas, to get to 15 under. His long-elusive 13th career victory came a week after a playoff loss to K.J. Choi at The Players Championship, his sixth runner-up finish since last winning.
"That just took a lot of guts, that's really all," Toms said. "That's what I got by on today."
Wi shot a 69, ending up a stroke back for his fourth career runner-up finish without a win.
After that playoff loss at TPC Sawgrass, Toms had an opening 62 at Colonial for his best score in 429 rounds - since a career-best 61 during his last victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Toms followed with another bogey-free 62 to match the PGA Tour scoring record for the first 36 holes of a tournament (124), and opened the third round with another birdie.
At 17 under through 37 holes and seemingly in control, Toms instead had three bogeys in the next five holes.
There was later a three-putt from 7-1/2 feet for double bogey and Wi took the lead with a 32-foot birdie at the par-3 16th on Saturday.
Wi, the 39-year-old South Korean who made his 100th cut on the PGA Tour this weekend, extended his lead to three strokes after consecutive birdies to open Sunday's round.
Toms, his playing partner, missed both greens but managed pars.
Toms finally caught up at 13 under after Wi missed the green with his approach at the par-4 10th and two-putted from 13 feet for a bogey.
Then came the clincher on Colonial's longest hole, the 635-yard 11th.
After laying up to a perfect spot short of the green, and Wi's ball sitting in a frontside bunker, Toms' wedge shot bounced once, landed just behind the pin and then rolled back into the cup.
"When something like that happens, it's like it's meant to me," Toms said.
Toms pumped his arms over his head before Wi blasted to 4-1/2 feet for a birdie putt that still had him a stroke behind.
Wi then hit out of the same fairway bunker twice at the par-4 12th hole after his errant drive.
He managed a bogey after finally hitting out of the fairway to 7 feet, but Toms' 5-foot par stretched his lead to two strokes.
Toms became the first player on the PGA Tour to rebound from a playoff loss one week to winning the next since 2000, when Phil Mickelson won at Colonial after losing in a playoff at the Byron Nelson Championship.
Bo Van Pelt (65) finished third at 10 under.
Defending Colonial champion Zach Johnson also shot a closing 65 to finish at 9 under in fourth place, while Robert Karlsson (67) and Chez Reavie (68) were 8 under.
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