Toms is no secret to golf success
By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser
POI'PU BAY, Kaua'i — Tiger Woods, David Duval and Retief Goosen flew in from Japan following the World Cup for today's first round of the PGA Grand Slam featuring the winners of golf's four majors in 2001.
Advertiser library photo • Aug. 19, 2001
And what about the fourth member of this tournament, David Toms?
David Toms and caddie Scott Gneiser, rear, celebrated after Toms won the PGA Championship at Duluth, Ga.
For Toms, there is no place like home — Shreveport, La. — and following his alma mater, Louisiana State University, in football. But the Garden Island is a nice vacation.
"I'm over here in Hawai'i with my whole family and enjoying the sunshine. I know back home it is going to start raining soon and getting cold," said Toms, who finished his 12th and best season on the PGA Tour with by winning the PGA Championship.
He joins two other first-time major winners — Duval (British Open) and Goosen (U.S. Open) in the $1 million, 36-hole event.
And, then, there's Tiger, who is trying to win the PGA Grand Slam for an unprecedented fourth straight time.
Advertiser library photo
Unlike the previous two years when he showed up on the morning of the event, Woods showed up early and played in yesterday's pro-am. And wouldn't you know it? He eagled the par-5 18th hole. That's 3-for-3 for Woods, who finished eagle-eagle in the playoff victory over Vijay Singh last year.
Tiger Woods is the three-time defending champion.
Not surprisingly, the gallery swarmed toward Woods when the pro-am was over, while Toms walked back to his Hyatt Regency Kaua'i room in relative anonymity.
But he's used to it and doesn't mind. Toms might be golf's best-kept secret in 2001, finishing third on the PGA Tour money list with $3,791,595 in earnings. And his winning 265 total in the PGA Championship is the lowest score recorded in a major.
He's paid his dues
| Gathering of major winners | |
| • | What: PGA Grand Slam of Golf |
| • | When: 9 a.m. today and tomorrow |
| • | Who: Tiger Woods (Masters), Retief Goosen (U.S. Open), David Duval (British), David Toms (PGA) |
| • | Where: Po'ipu Bay Resort Golf Course and Hyatt Regency Kaua'i Resort & Spa |
| • | Tickets: $20 today and tomorrow. Those 18-under free when entering with ticket-holding adult. |
| • | TV: Delay on TNT, 8 p.m. today and tomorrow |
| • | Purse: $1 million ($400,000 first place; $250,000 second; $200,000 third; $150,000 fourth) |
| • | Defending champion: Tiger Woods |
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Toms doesn't mind.
"I still like to stay with my three (sponsors) — Cleveland, Titleist and Tommy Hilfiger. I think I will," he said.
Sometimes he still pinches himself to see if all this is real. Especially after kicking around on the Asian Tour and doing only so-so after earning his playing card in 1991.
"I can't tell you why," he said about his performance in 2001. "Some players have to pay their dues, and obviously I paid my dues," he said.
LSU football is his other passion. He is a season-ticket holder and is looking forward to seeing the Tigers' final two games against Arkansas and Auburn.
"The only problem is if they win the (Southeastern Conference) West, they face the Florida Gators again."
Not that the word "layup" has anything to do with it, but he's not as keen on LSU basketball as he is in football, although his father, Buster Toms, was an all-conference basketball player for Northeast Louisiana in Monroe, La.
By now, Toms is tired of people bringing up how he laid up with a wedge instead of a 5-wood on the final hole in the PGA Championship. He played it safe with a wedge and hit a wedge again to the green, draining a clutch 12-foot putt for par and a one-stroke victory over Phil Mickelson.
It was with the 5-wood that he aced the 243-yard 15th hole on Saturday, making it the most telling hole-in-one in a major championship.
"It gave me the lead and the confidence I needed for the final day," Toms said.
But what happened the next day at 18 showed his way was the best way. "It's just a smart shot," Toms said.
He proved to be right. After all, he's here and Mickelson isn't.
• • •
NOTES: Retief Goosen shot an 8-under-par 64 in yesterday's pro-am to tie the course record with Tom Lehman and former Po'ipu Bay assistant Aaron Bengoechea. Lehman's 64 came in the 1996 pro-am. Among those playing in the pro-am yesterday were University of Hawai'i football coach June Jones and Kaua'i junior golfer Lehua Wise. Jones partnered for six holes with David Duval. Each of the four Grand Slam pros played six holes each with three different amateur threesomes. The pros played their own ball, while the amateurs played a scramble format for all 18 holes.
