Toms Drubs DiMarco by Record Margin In Winning Match Play Championship

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The New York Sun

CARLSBAD, Calif. – David Toms played the best golf of his life, put his name in the record book with the biggest blowout in the Match Play Championship and barely broke a sweat while earning $1.3 million.


All he lacked was an explanation.


A major champion but hardly a juggernaut, Toms rolled through Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott to reach the semifinals, then beat Ian Poulter with the most dynamic stretch of golf ever seen at La Costa Resort.


He found an ever higher gear yesterday in the 36-hole final against Chris Di-Marco, beating him so badly that Toms caught himself rehearsing his victory speech with 11 holes left in the match.


“I can’t explain why I felt like I did all week,” Toms said. “I just felt very, very comfortable with myself and the golf that was in front of me. I don’t know that I’ve ever really felt like that.”


Toms delivered the most dominant performance in the seven-year history of this fickle tournament, winning eight out of nine holes to put away DiMarco before lunch, then pouring it on in the afternoon. The score was 6 and 5, by two holes the largest margin of victory in the Accenture Match Play Championship.


And it could have been worse. Toms was 9 up at one point and had a chance to end the match on the 27th hole. Tournament officials trailed Toms over the final four holes with the Walter Hagen Trophy and a podium in the cart, waiting to set up the trophy presentation when the drubbing was over.


“That’s the worst beating I’ve taken for sure,” DiMarco said.


DiMarco played some of his best golf when it no longer mattered. He saved par from thick rough behind the ninth green, then made three straight birdies. All that did was spare ABC Sports more dead time in its telecast.


Toms made only four bogeys in six matches over four days on a soggy golf course with 6 inches of rough. He played 116 holes this week and was behind in only 10 of them.


His record in the Accenture Match Play Championship improved to 18-5, second only to the 21-4 mark by two-time defending champion Tiger Woods.


It was his 11th career victory on the PGA Tour and moved Toms up to no. 9 in the world ranking.


“They got a good champion,” said Di-Marco, whose $750,000 runner-up check was the largest of his career.


In the consolation match between Retief Goosen and Poulter, both birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine. Long after the trophy presentation, Goosen finally won the 20th hole.


***


Ogilvy wins Chrysler classic Geoff Ogilvy rolled in an 18-foot,downhill putt for birdie on the second playoff hole to beat Kevin Na and win the Chrysler Classic of Tucson yesterday for his first PGA Tour title. The 27-year-old Australian won for the first time in 108 PGA Tour events, and the $540,000 winner’s share was about 12 times more than his earnings this season ($47,316) after making the cut in two tournaments.


The New York Sun

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