David Toms matched a PGA Tour 36-hole record at the Colonial. Copyright Icon SMI.
Three things helped carry David Toms to victory at the Crowne Plaza Colonial.
1) Record scoring in the first two rounds when he shot a pair of 62s;
2) A holed wedge shot for an eagle on the 11th hole of the final round;
3) Resilience.
It took plenty of the latter because Toms was coming off a week when he threw away a chance to win the Players Championship, one of the biggest prizes in golf, with a ball in the water on the 16th hole of the final round and a missed three-foot putt on the first hole of sudden death.
That’s not an easy thing to get over, but Toms didn’t sulk. With no victories since 2006, the 44-year-old Toms could easily have thought that he had squandered his last opportunity. Instead, he quickly set about giving himself another opportunity.
His 124 total in the first two rounds tied the scoring record for the first 36 holes of a PGA Tour event set by Pat Perez at the 2009 Bob Hope Classic (61-63) and was only the third time that figure has been achieved in consecutive rounds (the other was Mark Calcavecchia, with a 60-64 in the middle two rounds at the 2001 Phoenix Open). But more resilience would be required.
Those first 36 holes gave Toms a seven-stroke lead, but he blew all of that and one stroke more in the third round when he shot a 74. He entered the final round one stroke off the lead and going in the wrong direction. But once again he bounced back, putting the bad day behind him and ultimately prevailing in a head-to-head battle with Charlie Wi.
The two were tied when Toms stepped up to an 83-yard third shot on the 635-yard par-five 11th—and knocked it into the hole for an eagle. In the end, that was the difference. But in historical terms, it was the 62-62 start that stands out.
Granted, conditions were benign, the greens were soft, and it’s a par-70 course. So, it might not have literally been the absolute best golf anyone has played for 36 holes. But it was a thing of beauty. And a thing of symmetry, too, as Tom shot four straight nines of 31, with four birdies and no bogeys on each nine.
You can’t shoot numbers like that without your ball-striking and putting both being on. The first round was a case of an on-fire putter (holing two putts of more than 25 feet), merged with very good tee-to-green play, while the second round was marked by impeccable ball-striking (17 greens in regulation) and good putting.
Here’s a blow-by-blow account of how Toms did it (numbers in parentheses are yards to the hole):
First Round
No. 10, 408 yards, par 4: 238-yard tee shot to fairway (135), approach to 30 feet, two putts (second putt from 4 feet), par
No. 11, 635 yards, par 5: 303-yard tee shot to fairway (330), 242-yard second shot to fairway (93), third shot to fairway (9), chip to 2 feet, one putt, par
No. 12, 445 yards, par 4: 271-yard tee shot to rough (168), approach to 3 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 13, 190 yards, par 3: tee shot to fairway (15), chip to 7 feet, one putt, par
No. 14, 464 yards, par 4: 293-yard tee shot to fairway (168), approach to 10 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 15, 430 yards, par 4: 263-yard tee shot to rough (155), approach to 31 feet, two putts, par
No. 16, 192 yards, par 3: tee shot to 11 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 17, 387 yards, par 4: 245-yard tee shot to fairway (129), approach to 11 feet, two putts, par
No. 18, 441 yards, par 4: 257-yard tee shot to rough (173), approach to 27 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 1, 565 yards, par 5: 310-yard tee shot to fairway (249), second shot over the green to fairway (16), chip to 9 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 2, 389 yards, par 4: 306-yard tee shot to intermediate (84), approach to 6 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 3, 483 yards, par 4: 293-yard tee shot to rough (175), approach to 19 feet, two putts, par
No. 4, 247 yards, par 3: tee shot to 19 feet, two putts, par
No. 5, 481 yards, par 4: 268-yard tee shot to fairway (207), approach to bunker (24), blast to 6 feet, one putt, par
No. 6, 406 yards, par 4: 285-yard tee shot to rough (120), approach to fringe (14), third shot to 6 feet, one putt, par
No. 7, 440 yards, par 4: 295-yard tee shot to rough (147), approach to 9 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 8, 194 yards, par 3: tee shot to 7 feet, two putts, par
No. 9: 407 yards, par 4: 258-yard tee shot to rough (130), approach to 29 feet, one putt, birdie
Second Round
No. 1, 565 yards, par 5: 277-yard tee shot to rough (276), 184-yard second shot to rough (109), approach to 8 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 2, 389 yards, par 4: 307-yard tee shot to fairway (74), approach to 12 feet, two putts
No. 3, 483 yards, par 4: 274-yard tee shot to fairway (200), approach to rough (19), pitch to 4 feet, one putt, par
No. 4, 247 yards, par 3: tee shot to 9 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 5, 481 yards, par 4: 305-yard tee shot to fairway (162), approach to 18 feet, two putts, par
No. 6, 406 yards, par 4: 270-yard tee shot to rough (125), approach to 33 feet, two putts, par
No. 7, 440 yards, par 4: 290-yard tee shot to intermediate (133), approach to 18 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 8, 194 yards, par 3: tee shot to 30 feet, two putts, par
No. 9, 407 yards, par 4: 276-yard tee shot to fairway (121), approach to 4 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 10, 408 yards, par 4: 240-yard tee shot to fairway (166), approach to 65 feet, two putts (second putt from 6 feet), par
No. 11, 635 yards, par 5: 343-yard tee shot to fairway (272), 182-yard second shot to fairway (91), approach to 17 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 12, 445 yards, par 4: 290-yard tee shot to fairway (147), approach to 5 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 13: 190 yards, par 3: tee shot to 11 feet, two putts, par
No. 14: 464 yards, par 4: 301-yard tee shot to fairway (151), approach to 18 feet, two putts, par
No. 15: 430 yards, par 4: 273-yard tee shot to fairway (154), approach to 5 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 16, 192 yards, par 3: tee shot to 9 feet, two putts, par
No. 17, 387 yards, par 4: 246-yard tee shot to fairway (135), approach to 5 feet, one putt, birdie
No. 18, 441 yards, par 4: 294-yard tee shot to fairway (148), approach to 15 feet, two putts, par
We’ve seen this kind of golf from Toms before. His winning score of 265 at the 2001 PGA Championship is the 72-hole scoring record for a major. And his play in winning the 2005 WGC-Accenture Match Play was something to behold, though there was no stroke-play score to go with it.
But two weeks ago, who would have predicted he would have ever produced those kinds of fireworks again? True, he had put together four straight top-25 finishes at that point. And those close to him would have been able to tell you that 13-year-old son Carter’s interest in playing the game had gotten Toms onto the course more and also inspired him to show Carter what his dad could do.
But the last of his 12 Tour wins came five years and four months ago and he’s into his mid-40s now. Last year, he finished 49th on the money list with only two top-10 finishes.
At the Players Championship, Toms showed son Carter just how well he could play—but he also showed how heartbreaking Tour golf can be. At the Colonial, Carter experienced the joy of watching his dad win for the first time when he was old enough to really appreciate it.
As we reach the mid-point in the PGA Tour season, Toms ranks third in hitting fairways, second in hitting greens in regulation, and seventh in putting. Suddenly, with three major championships looming, Toms is a force again. And where’s the PGA Championship this year? Atlanta Athletic Club.
