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CHARLOTTE (North Carolina), May 12: David Toms ended a victory drought of almost two years on Sunday, surviving a quadruple-bogey eight at the last for a closing 73 to win the Wachovia Championship by two shots.
The 2001 U.S. PGA champion, whose last triumph came at the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill 19 months ago, finished at 10-under-par 278 to secure his eighth PGA Tour title and a cheque for $1,008,000.
Fiji’s Vijay Singh fired a final-round 68 to share second place with Brent Geiberger (69) and Robert Gamez (70).
Three-times major winner Nick Price of Zimbabwe, who had led or shared the lead through the first two rounds, also returned a 70 to finish a further stroke back at seven under in a tie for fifth with Kirk Triplett (71).
Toms, the world number eight, had led by six shots as he stood on the 18th tee but ran up a quadruple-bogey eight on the finishing hole.
After hitting his tee shot to the right and into the trees, he was forced to play out sideways, but hit his recovery into a lateral water hazard.
He then struck his third shot from a grassy bank inside the hazard down the fairway before reaching the green with his fourth.
After running his approach putt to within six feet of the hole, he then needed three more putts before completing his round.
Final round scores
278 David Toms 70 69 66 73
280 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 73 72 67 68, Brent Geiberger 71 69 71 69, Robert Gamez 72 67 71 70
281 Nick Price (Zimbabwe) 66 71 74 70, Kirk Triplett 69 74 67 71
282 Tom Pernice Jr. 73 67 74 68, Greg Chalmers (Australia) 71 71 71 69, Dean Wilson 70 72 70 70, Charles Howell III 70 69 72 71
283 Joe Durant 70 73 71 69, J.J. Henry 71 72 71 69, Duffy Waldorf 69 71 73 70, Woody Austin 72 71 70 70, Tim Petrovic 73 68 71 71, Fred Funk 71 70 70 72, J.P. Hayes 72 66 72 73
284 Brenden Pappas (South Africa) 73 70 72 69, Mike Weir (Canada) 72 70 73 69, Chris DiMarco 70 72 70 72
285 Billy Mayfair 71 74 71 69, Rich Beem 67 72 74 72, David Frost (South Africa) 71 73 70 71
286 Larry Mize 72 71 72 71, Garrett Willis 72 72 71 71, David Gossett 72 70 70 74, Chad Campbell 71 72 69 74, Spike McRoy 70 74 67 75.—Reuters
