Toms claims Galleri for 2nd Champions win of the season
David Toms tries on the championship trophy after holding on to win the PGA Tour Champions' Cologuard Classic golf tournament over Robert Karlsson in Tucson, Ariz., Sunday, March 5, 2023. (Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star via AP)
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -
David Toms fired a 7-under 65 Sunday for a four-stroke, wire-to-wire win at The Galleri Classic to become the first two-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions this season.
Toms closed out his second win in three starts and fourth Champions victory with an eight-birdie, one-bogey performance at Mission Hills Country Club to claim the $330,000 winner's share.
Steven Alker of New Zealand used a round of five birdies -- four on the back nine -- to finish alone in second after a closing 67.
Retief Goosen had a final-round 65 and tied Paul Stankowski (66) for third at 11 under. Vijay Singh (68), Padraig Harrington (68), Miguel Angel Jimenez (68), Steve Stricker (69) and Mario Tiziani (67) were at 10 under.
Toms added the Galleri title to his win at the Cologuard Classic earlier this month for his first multiple-win season on the over-50 tour since joining in 2017. The win vaulted him into first place in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
"I've just enjoyed playing good golf right now, off to a good start," the 56-year-old Toms said. "I haven't really been part of the Charles Schwab Cup at the end, haven't even been close, so that's kind of my goal this year is to try to get close, give myself a chance late in the season."
The inaugural event was contested on the same Mission Hills layout where the LPGA formerly contested its first major of the season for 50 years. Chevron has taken over as the title sponsor of that event and moved the major to Houston.
Toms found the par-72, 7,112-yard course to be a tough layout that put a premium on accuracy off the tee.
"It was a really good test, you had to keep the ball in the fairway, which was very difficult," said Toms, who ranked first in driving accuracy by hitting 33 of 42 fairways and led the field with 20 birdies. "Just enough rough to make you think.
"Greens got firm, so you really need to be in the fairway. Fortunate for me, I kept it in the fairway for the most part. If not, I always had a shot where I had an open green or something, and the putter felt really good the last few days."
Bernhard Langer, who was trying to win his record 46th title on the PGA Tour Champions, finished in a tie for 20th at 6 under after a final-round 69.
