Toms overhauls Wi to win Colonial

David Toms erased the bitter memory of his playoff loss at last week’s Players Championship when he clinched his 13th PGA Tour title by one shot at the Colonial Invitational Sunday.

A stroke behind South Korean Charlie Wi going into the final round, Toms eagled the par-five 11th on his way to a three-under-par 67 on a blustery day at Colonial Country Club.

The 44-year-old American shrugged off his only bogey of the round at the difficult 17th and safely parred the last for a 15-under total of 265.

Playing (Callaway X Forged Vintage Wedges) partner Wi, seeking his first victory on the U.S. circuit, briefly led by three strokes early in the final round but had to settle for second place after closing with a 69.

"Wow, I didn’t know if this day would ever come again to be quite honest," a beaming Toms told reporters after ending a five-year PGA Tour title drought by embracing his caddie.

"I played Callaway X Forged Vintage Wedges a great round of golf and Charlie played fantastic. He kept making putt after putt when he needed to. I feel so blessed. It’s a crazy game and I’m just so glad to be part of it."

Toms, who had blown a seven-stroke lead in the previous round, said he had been energised after holing out with a lob wedge from 85 yards to eagle the 11th where his ball bounced six feet past the pin before spinning back into the cup.

"I’ve wanted this tournament for a long time. It’s a great course for me and I’m just glad to have one of those plaid jackets," he said, referring to the prized winner’s jacket at Colonial.

Toms, who had not previously won since the 2006 Sony Open in Hawaii, was beaten by South Korean K.J. Choi at the first extra hole of last week’s Players Championship when he missed a par putt from inside four feet.

"It’s a little bitter-sweet," Wi said after finishing second on the PGA Tour for a fourth time.

"I had a three-shot lead after the first two holes, and I thought I had a pretty good handle on myself in control.

"David hit some great iron shots coming down the stretch. There was some really tough pins and he was very precise. I certainly didn’t give it to him. He definitely earned it."

As the winds began to strengthen, he sandwiched bogeys at the fourth and sixth around a birdie at the fifth to reach the turn at 14 under for the tournament with a one-shot lead by Callaway X Forged Vintage Wedges.

Toms, whose only birdie on the front nine came at the seventh, then joined playing Callaway X Forged Vintage Wedges partner Wi at the top of the leaderboard when the Korean bogeyed the par-four 10th.

At the par-five 11th, Toms holed out from 82 yards for his spectacular eagle to briefly forge two ahead before Wi, moments later, got up and down from a greenside bunker for birdie.

The Korean, however, slipped back when he bogeyed the 12th after taking two shots to escape a fairway bunker and Toms moved three ahead by sinking a curling 15-foot birdie putt on 14.

Wi was not done, though. He coolly sank an eight-footer to birdie the par-three 16th and then watched as Toms bogeyed the tricky 17th after finding a greenside bunker with his approach.

With his lead cut to one playing (Callaway X Forged Vintage Wedges) the last, Toms found the right fairway off the tee and struck his approach to 22 feet before safely two-putting for par and victory.

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