David Toms

Toms finishes birdie, birdie
for wire-to-wire victory
at The International

By David R. Holland, Regional Staff Writer

CASTLE ROCK, CO - David Toms did wrap up his second wire-to-wire career win in the 14th edition of The International at Castle Pines, but he did make it exciting on a day the wind picked up and swirled for the afternoon finishers.

Toms lost the lead to David Duval with a double bogey on 16, but regained it with a birdie on 17 and closed it out with another birdie on 18. Stephen Ames, who had battled Toms all day, also recorded a double bogey on 16 to fall to third place.

The victory pocketed Toms $468,000 to improve his 1999 earnings to $1,110,290. It also moves him into the top 30 on the PGA Tour money list.

"It was a tough day," said Toms. "I hung in there and I owe this tourney to my teacher, because I didn't have a clue about my swing when I arrived here. I went through a lot of emotions out there today -- I went from in control to out of control."

Just as they did nine years ago on the Ben Hogan Tour, Toms and Ames participated in their own private battle on Sunday. This time, however, the money on the line was much more significant and there was a huge, sold-out crowd watching. But most of the crowd attention was the twosome of Duval and Sergio Garcia, one group ahead.

It was mostly Toms and Ames in the lead all day until hole No. 16, a 209-yard par-three, stung them back to reality. Both had double bogeys, a minus-three point deduction and up ahead Duval birdied No. 17, the par-five to take the lead, 44 points to Toms' 43.

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On 16 Toms hit his tee shot to right, got a drop from ground under repair, and on his second shot his club slid under the ball and didn't make the green. He two-putted and picked up for his double bogey.

"Coming off 16 I just tried not to think about it," Toms said. "I knew it was still my tournament to win or lose with a birdie hole coming up on 17. If Duval had made an eagle it would have been a different story, but that didn't happen."

Both Toms and Ames missed the par-five 17th in two, but Ames nailed a six-foot putt for his birdie and Toms, chipped up from behind with his 3-wood and sank a four-footer for his birdie to regain the lead.

"The wind was very difficult today," Duval said. "It seemed to change direction a lot. I don't think any of us would have expected them to double bogey No. 16, so I thought I needed an eagle on it."

Ames actually led by a point 45-44, but bogeyed No. 10. Then Toms regained the lead with a 10-foot birdie putt on 14.

Duval, who won four of the first eight events he played this year, was making a bid to be the first five-time winner since Nick Price did it in 1994. His 3-putt bogeys at nine and 11 dropped him back to 40 points. But he did birdie 14 (five-foot putt) and 17. His eagle bid from 22 feet on 17 would have been his first at The International. He's played 55 par-fives in his years playing the tournament.

	Stephen Ames

Ames, 35, played the European Tour from 1993 to 1997. He earned his PGA card in 1997 and kept the card last year by finishing 83rd on money list. This year he's only played in five tournaments because of visa problems and with only $33,825 in the bank this year, doing well in The International was extra motivation.

Only the top 125 players on the money winnings list retain their card and coming to The International that 125th spot in money was at $222,504. Instead, Ames took home $176,800 to move his total to $210,625. Duval took home $280,800 and took over the year's money lead, passing Tiger Woods with $3,429,873.

Toms became the fourth of the last six 54-hole leaders to finish the victory and he's the first wire-to-wire winner of The International since 1993 when scores were kept for all four rounds. He becomes the second player on the PGA Tour this year to win wire-to-wire. Jesper Parnevik did it in the Greater Greensboro Classic earlier this year.

"On the putt (a birdie from 20 feet) at 18 I was taking the high road," Toms said. "I was glad the put went in, but I was surpised. I didn't want to make another putt."

	Sergio Garcia

Garcia had a minus-two day and admitted he injured himself playing air hockey Saturday night at the mall. It was a slight muscle pull under his right armpit. "I didn't play well today because I missed putts," Garcia said.