Saturday, January 5, 2002
[MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS]
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KAPALUA, Maui >> You would think David Toms shooting a 66 to share the second-round lead would be the sweetest gift of his 35th birthday, but you would be wrong. Toms shoots back
NOTEBOOK
By Paul Arnett
parnett@starbulletin.comWhen the ardent Louisiana State graduate heard the news about Steve Spurrier resigning as football coach at Florida, his grin was wider than if he hit a 30-footer for birdie.
"That was actually the best gift I got today," Toms said. "That was the best news I've had in a long time right there. But yeah today was good. I played a solid round of golf today, especially considering the conditions.
"This is a bigger day for my wife because she's 30. We have the same birthday. They said they let her slide on television. They said it was my birthday. They didn't say anything about her being 30. Which was good for me."
Life has been very good for Toms of late. Not only did he qualify for this week's $4 million Mercedes Championships by winning three times on the PGA Tour last year, one of them was the PGA Championship. Only Tiger Woods, with five, won more tournaments than Toms, who still calls Louisiana home.
His 7-under effort was matched only by Mark Calcavecchia, who moved into a tie for fifth after finishing in a tie for 24th after the opening day. Toms' 69 was good enough for a tie for 10th on Thursday. He likes it much better where he is entering today's third round.
"I could have had some more birdies, but I made a couple of tough putts, too," Toms said. "You shoot a round like this in these conditions, you have to feel good. I put myself right back into the tournament entering the weekend."
Toms shot a 31 on the front side, thanks in part to an eagle on No. 9. He used a 4-iron coming in on his approach that landed about 12 feet from the hole. After sinking that putt, Toms had a good feeling entering the back side.
"I made a couple of nice birdies on 13 and 16," Toms said. "The key on these big greens is to hit the ball pin-high and try to leave yourself some makeable putts. The greens aren't in real good shape. When the wind gets to blowing, you have that grain factor. Putting is very difficult."
Life has been a challenge for Toms of late as well. Since winning the PGA title, he has played a lot of golf, never taking more than 10 days off at a stretch. That kept him from having the letdown that often accompanies a golfer who wins his first major.
In Toms' mind, had he taken a lot of time off after winning that event in August, there may have been a chance he wouldn't be as sharp as he is now. But that was far from the case yesterday.
"I think continuing to play golf helped me to stay at a pretty high level," Toms said. "Whereas, if I would have taken off the rest of the fall, then just played a couple of tournaments, maybe I'd be a little rusty. We've been playing so much, I just feel it's carrying over right now.
"You know, obviously to win a major, win three times, finish high on the money list, that's going to be hard for me to do that, match that. As long as I feel like I'm working hard, getting better, you know, that's good for me."
Away from the course, Toms likes to spend his time hunting, although this year he has bagged more birdies on the course than ducks off it.
"It's been terrible," Toms said. "Duck hunting has been awful. I don't even want to talk about it. You spend all that money, get prepared. It's terrible. It's like bad golf. It's not good. But considering everything else, it's hard to be too disappointed."
News and notes from yesterday's action at the Mercedes Championships: NOTEBOOK
Mercedes to stay at Kapalua course
KAPALUA, Maui >> Mercedes Benz USA, Kapalua Land Company, the PGA Tour and ESPN have agreed in principal to a four-year contract extension to keep the Mercedes Championships at Kapalua's Plantation Course.The agreement includes keeping the tournament as the Tour's season-opening event with its exclusive winners-only format. The $4 million event that provides a $720,000 purse and a new Mercedes for the winner, moved to Kapalua in 1999.
David Duval won the event's Hawaii debut, setting a tournament record with a four-day total of 266. Mercedes has been the title sponsor of the event since 1994.
"This is a great place to have this tournament," Duval said. "I think all of the players look forward to coming here to start the season. It's a beautiful setting and a challenging golf course."
Defending champion Jim Furyk echoed those sentiments.
"We obviously love it here," said Furyk, whose new home at Kapalua will be finished in March. "For the tournament to remain here for the foreseeable future is good news for those of us on tour and for the people of Maui."
Triple-trouble: 2000 Mercedes champion Tiger Woods tripled the first hole of the day and never really recovered en route to a pedestrian 1-over 74 that leaves him eight shots off the pace with a two-day 4-under total of 142. He was one of nine golfers not to shoot par yesterday.
Woods' tee shot on the first hole went way left into the Kona breezes. By the time he exited the green, he had a seven. The 26-year-old watched several short putts slide by, prompting him to say as he exited the 11th green for the 12th tee, "How many putts am I going to miss today?"
Twice Woods had short birdie putts lip out on the back nine en route to a 1-under 36 thanks to a birdie on No. 18. Woods came out of the scoring tent, gave a group of reporters the thousand-yard stare and jumped in his golf court for some serious practice time.
Long journey: Second-round leader Kenny Perry wasn't sure if he would ever get here after trying to fly out of snowed-in Denver. His trip began in Kentucky.
"By the time I got to San Francisco, I missed my connection to Maui," Perry said. "I sat in the airport about seven hours. Stood standby. Thank goodness I got on that flight. Got over here about midnight. Took two hours to get our luggage. I guess there was only one group of people doing that. It was pretty much a blur, but I'm glad I got here."
Things worked out well for Perry, whose second-round 67 put him in a tie for the lead with PGA Championship winner David Toms. Perry qualified by capturing the Buick Open. It was the fourth PGA title of his long career. When asked what he credited his resurgence to, he said, "Old age.
"I'm pretty much at peace with myself and my life. When my kids were younger, I stressed being away all the time. Now, I've got them all with me and my life at home is more at peace now."
Sony Open connection: Some 21 of the 32 golfers taking part in this week's Mercedes will play at next week's Sony Open. Among them are Toms, defending champion Brad Faxon, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Davis Love III and Shigeki Maruyama. Notable golfers here not taking part are Woods, David Duval and U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen.
Toms is the only Grand Slam winner to make the short trip to Honolulu.
"I haven't been there in five or six years," Toms said. "My wife wanted to stay. We usually stay for 10 days. We go back home. It's nasty at home. Don't want to be there. She's like, "Let's stay a little bit longer.
"I'd rather go over there and at least have a chance to make some money than stay here and spend a lot of it, no chance to make any. You know, that was my reasoning. I've heard some good things about the golf course after they changed some of the holes, changed the par. I'm looking forward to it."
Paul Arnett, Star-Bulletin