The Monroe, La.,
native opened the PGA Tour’s first major championship of the season with a solid
round of 2-under 70 on Thursday, followed by a 6-over 78 on Friday and a 2-over
74 on Saturday before finishing the weekend with a 72-hole score of 6-over
294.
Toms, who earned his best finish at The Masters since tying for eighth
place in 2003, has now earned a total of seven Top 10 finishes in major
championships during his illustrious PGA Tour career, including a win at the
2001 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic
Club.
In addition, Toms has also earned an automatic invitation to compete in
The Masters next season as he has done so each in year since 1998. In fact, his
best finish at the event came in 1998 when he tied for sixth place with a
four-day total of 5-under 283, including an impressive 8-under 64 in the final
round.
Zach Johnson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, earned his first career victory in a
major championship as he pulled away from the pack with three birdies in a
four-hole stretch on the back nine to close with a 3-under 69 and a two-shot
victory over Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini. It was only the
second victory of his career.
The 31-year-old PGA Tour veteran and former Drake University standout finished at 1-over 289
for the championship, matching a Masters record last set in 1956 for the highest
winning score. It also ended a streak of the winner coming out of the final
group every year since 1991.
The PGA Tour’s second major championship of the season is scheduled for
June 14-17 as the U.S. Open Championship returns to historic Oakmont Country
Club in Oakmont, Pa. Australian Geoff Ogilvy is the defending
champion as he won the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck,
N.Y.