KAILUA-KONA — David Toms is living a professional athlete’s dream. At 50 years old, the former PGA Championship winner is a rookie again.
Toms, who just turned the qualifying age for the PGA Tour Champions at the beginning of the month, is among the 10 players making their Hualalai debut. For Toms, it is also his first event on the senior tour.
He shot the best score of the day — and tournament — on Friday, turning in a 9-under-par 63.
“I got off to a good start today, birdieing the first three holes. Then I had a lull in the middle, but came on strong on the back nine,” Toms said. “It was just a relaxing 9-under par today.”
While Toms is a new face at Hualalai, he has some history in Hawaii. He played the Sony Open last week on Oahu, an event he won in 2006. However, the Big Island experience has been a little different.
“This is more fun,” Toms said. “I’ve always liked the Sony and I was fortunate to win there in 2006. It’s a golf course I like, a tournament I like and the people are super nice. But this is obviously more laid back and different. A lot more fun.”
As for being dubbed a rookie despite his lengthy resume, Toms said being around guys he considers his peers and came up with on the Tour has been a refreshing experience.
“I’ve played against these guy my whole career. I know them, I know their wives, I know their kids. So it’s a bit more my style for sure,” Toms said. “I guess (it has been weird) being a rookie again 25 years later. But I’ve enjoyed it so far and look forward to having a good year.”
Daly drops down
John Daly, a fan favorite who is also making his debut on the Big Island, was a shot off the lead heading into Round 2. However, the big hitter found himself in some trouble early, first in the lava and then in the water.
He went 3-over in a two-hole span twice on the front nine, culminating in a 40 on that side. He bounced back with a 33 on the back, including a birdie on No. 18. He finished his 36 hole trek at 6-under 138.
Bernhard Langer, Daly’s playing partner and the leader after Round 2, has multiple wins at the tournament, but understands that although the scores are low, the course has its tricky spots. In 2015, Langer shot a 10 on a par 5 after hitting into the lava.
“It can get you,” Langer said. “John Daly didn’t play that bad, but he really got punished, made three or four bad swings and caught a double bogey just about every time. That lava creeps in a bunch of places and a couple of water hazards too.”
The difference making holes
The par 3 eighth hole proved to be the toughest again on Friday, seeing 14 bogeys and just five pars. Only seven birdies have been made through two rounds.
Maybe that was because the par 5 hole No. 7 lulled the golfers into a false sense of security. There were three eagles there and 26 birdies. Just two people shot over par.
Other numbers and notes
Hale Irwin again better his age, firing a 2-under 70. The 71-year-old Irwin also accomplished the feat on Thursday and has now done it three times at Hualalai. Larry Nelson matched his age, turning in a 69.
Don’t get into a putting competition with Tom Pernice Jr. He added 18 more holes to his streak without a three-putt. That helped him shoot an 8-under 64 on Friday and stay within earshot of the leaders.
Speaking of putting, Jeff Maggert has one-putted 21 of the 36 holes at Hualalai.
