Toms hits back to win at Colonial

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May 23, 2011

David Toms has come in from the cold of five years without a victory to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

David Toms has come in from the cold of five years without a victory to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational at the storied Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

After starting like a steam-train and leading comfortable heading into the weekend, Toms ran into trouble on Saturday with a disastrous four-over 74 and seemed to have run his race.

But after teeing off in Sunday’s final round a shot behind Charlie Wi, the American veteran rediscovered his momentum, reeled in Wi and then eased home to a one shot victory over the South Korean after firing a closing 67 for a 15-under total of 265.

Wi shot a 69.

It was Toms’ first US PGA Tour victory since the Sony Open in Hawaii in 2006 and his 13th, including his Major win at the US PGA, and followed his play-off defeat to KJ Choi at the Players’ Championship last week.

“It took a lot of guts,” Toms told CBS afterwards. “That’s what I got by on. I played a great round of golf.

“I’ve wanted this tournament for a long time.

“It’s a great course for me.”

Toms had appeared in total control of the tournament at the halfway stage, posting consecutive rounds of 62 for a PGA Tour matching 36-hole record of 124 and taking a seven-shot lead into the weekend.

Toms sparked his comeback on Sunday when he holed out for an eagle at the par-five 11th hole to retake the lead.

He said: “When stuff like that happens, it’s like it’s meant to be.”

To his credit, Wi, who had never started the final day on the tour in the lead and was three shots behind with three holes to play, never threw in the towel.

He made up two strokes with a birdie at the 16th and a Toms bogey at the 17th, but his birdie attempt from 44 feet on the 72nd hole came just a foot short.

He has now been a runner-up four times in his tour career.

“I certainly didn’t give it to him,” Wi said. “He definitely had to earn it.

“It’s great to finish second on the PGA Tour any time.

“But at the same time, it’s bittersweet.”

Bo Van Pelt was third, a further four shots behind Wi, after a final-round five-under 65, one shot ahead of Zach Johnson.

Robert Karlsson was the leading European in a two-way tie for fifth while Scotland’s Martin Laird finished in a six-way tie for 10th.

Top 10 leaderboard265 David Toms 62 62 74 67
266 Charlie Wi (Kor) 64 67 66 69
270 Bo Van Pelt 68 69 68 65
271 Zach Johnson 68 69 69 65
272 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 69 68 68 67, Chez Reavie 62 71 71 68
273 Kevin Stadler 69 68 69 67
274 Bill Haas 67 67 71 69, John Senden (Aus) 65 66 70 73

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