David Toms facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David Toms |
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Toms at the 2008 PGA Championship
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | David Wayne Toms |
| Born | January 4, 1967 Monroe, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Spouse | Sonya Toms |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| College | Louisiana State University |
| Turned professional | 1989 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Nike Tour T. C. Jordan Tour |
| Professional wins | 22 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 13 |
| European Tour | 2 |
| Web.com Tour | 2 |
| Champions Tour | 4 |
| European Seniors Tour | 1 |
| Other | 3 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 1) |
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| The Masters Tournament | T6: 1998 |
| U.S. Open | T4: 2012 |
| The Open Championship | T4: 2000 |
| PGA Championship | Won: 2001 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Payne Stewart Award | 2011 |
David Wayne Toms (born January 4, 1967) is an American professional golfer. He played on the PGA Tour from 1992 to 2017. During that time, he won 13 big events, including a major championship called the 2001 PGA Championship. David was one of the top 10 golfers in the world for over three years, reaching as high as fifth place! Today, he plays on the PGA Tour Champions.
Contents
Early Life and Amateur Golf
David Toms was born in Monroe, Louisiana. When he was 17, he won the 15-17 Boys' event at the 1984 Junior World Golf Championships. He even played little league baseball with future Major League Baseball stars Albert Belle and Ben McDonald. After high school, David went to Louisiana State University and was part of their golf team.
Professional Golf Career
Starting Out (1989–1998)
David Toms turned professional in 1989. In 1991, he earned his first full card to play on the PGA Tour. He had some good moments, like finishing third in one tournament. However, he struggled a bit and lost his PGA Tour spot for the 1995 season.
In 1995, David played on the Nike Tour (now called the Korn Ferry Tour). He did very well, winning two tournaments: the Greater Greenville Classic and the Wichita Open. This success helped him get back onto the PGA Tour for 1996.
In 1997, David won his first PGA Tour event, the Quad City Classic. He won by three strokes! The next year, he had his best finish in a major championship at the time, tying for sixth place at the Masters Tournament.
More Wins (1999–2000)
David continued to play well in 1999, with seven top-10 finishes. He won his second PGA Tour title at the Sprint International. A month later, he won his third title at the Buick Challenge.
In 2000, David had a strong year, making the cut in 26 out of 31 tournaments. He also tied for fourth place at The Open Championship. He won his fourth Tour victory at the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill after a sudden-death playoff.
Winning a Major (2001)
The year 2001 was David Toms' best year. He had nine top-10 finishes and won three tournaments. One of these was his first major championship!
First, he won the Compaq Classic of New Orleans. Then, that summer, he won the 2001 PGA Championship by just one stroke. His winning score of 265 was the lowest 72-hole score ever in a major championship at that time. After his major win, David successfully defended his title at the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill.
More Victories (2002–2006)
In 2002, David had 12 top-10 finishes. He lost in a playoff at the Mercedes Championship.
In 2003, he finished second at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship to Tiger Woods. He also won his eighth PGA Tour title at the Wachovia Championship. A few weeks later, he won his ninth title at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
David won the FedEx St. Jude Classic again in 2004, making it his 10th PGA Tour victory. In 2005, he won his first World Golf Championship event, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. He beat Chris DiMarco in the final.
In early 2006, David won his 12th PGA Tour title at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He finished five strokes ahead of his closest competitors.
Injuries and Comeback (2007–2012)
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In 2007, David had a good season with several top-10 finishes, including ninth at The Masters and tying for fifth at the U.S. Open.
However, in 2008, injuries kept him from playing his best. He only had one top-10 finish that year.
David bounced back in 2009 with three second-place finishes and four other top-10 results. This helped him get into the season-ending Tour Championship.
In 2011, David came very close to winning The Players Championship, losing in a sudden-death playoff. The very next week, he won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. This was his first PGA Tour win in over five years! He tied a PGA Tour record by shooting two rounds of 62.
In June 2012, David had his best performance ever at a U.S. Open, tying for fourth place.
PGA Tour Champions
After turning 50, David Toms began playing on the PGA Tour Champions, a tour for older professional golfers. He has continued his winning ways there. In 2018, he won the U.S. Senior Open, which is a major championship for senior golfers. He has won three other tournaments on the PGA Tour Champions as well.
Other Ventures
Golf Course Design
David Toms has his own business designing golf courses. He plans to do more of this after he stops playing professionally. His first course as the lead designer was Carter Plantation in Springfield, Louisiana.
Helping Others
In 2003, David started the David Toms Foundation. This foundation helps children who are underprivileged, abused, or abandoned. It gives money to programs that help kids feel good about themselves and grow into good citizens. His foundation also raised over $1.5 million to help people after Hurricane Katrina. For his efforts, David received the Charlie Bennett Award in 2006.
Personal Life
David Toms lives in Shreveport, Louisiana with his wife, Sonya. They have two children, Carter and Anna. In 2015, his son Carter signed to play golf for Louisiana State University, just like his dad. In 2005, David had heart surgery to fix a problem causing a rapid heartbeat.
Images for kids
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David Toms at the 2008 U.S. Open.
