David Toms fired a three-under 67 to edge South Korean Charlie Wi by one stroke to win the Colonial tournament on Sunday, claiming his first US PGA victory since January 2006.
The US veteran squandered a seven-stroke lead from two opening rounds of 62 with a 74 on Saturday, leaving Wi ahead by a stroke when the final round began, but rallied to finish on 15-under 265 after 72 holes.
“It just took a lot of guts. That’s what I got by on,” Toms said.
Toms eagled the par-five 11th hole to reach 15-under and take a one-stroke edge on last-group partner Wi, who birdied the hole.
“When stuff like that happens it was meant to be,” Toms said. “What a great day.”
Wi took a bogey at the 12th to give Toms a two-stroke cushion and Toms birdied the par-four 14th to move three atop Wi with four holes to play.
However, the Asian answered with a birdie at the par-three 16th to keep the pressure upon Toms, who took a bogey at 17 to see his lead shrink to a single stroke with one hole to play.
Wi, seeking his first US PGA title and first victory since the 2006 Malaysian Open on the European Tour, had a 45-foot birdie putt on 18, but left it a foot short and watched Toms two-putt for par from 22 feet for the victory.
Toms collected his first title since the 2006 Sony Open in Hawaii, while Wi settled for a fourth career runner-up showing.
“I played a great round of golf,” Toms said. “And Charlie played great. He made putt after putt when he needed to.”
While Toms began his final round with eight pars and a birdie at the seventh, Wi endured a roller coaster start, back-to-back birdies to open with another at the fifth sandwiched between a pair of bogeys.
Wi took a bogey at the 10th to drop into a share of the lead with Toms and Australian Stuart Appleby only one shot adrift before bogeys at 12 and 13 and a triple-bogey seven at the 14th took him out of the title hunt.
American Bo Van Pelt fired a 65 to finish third on 270, one stroke ahead of countryman Zach Johnson and two strokes ahead of American Chez Reavie and Sweden’s Robert Karlsson.
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