Former U.S. PGA champion David Toms has been losing length off the
tee that he can't afford, and now he knows why. Toms says he has a
bone spur in his rotator cuff that will require surgery.
Toms, who shot an 8-under 63 to get into contention at the
Transitions Championship on Friday, said he plans to take
medication to at least get through the Masters. After that, he
might have to have arthroscopic surgery that will keep him out for
two months.
"I've been to two different doctors, and I've got an issue
there," Toms said of his right shoulder. "They tell me I'm going to
be out eight weeks if I have it done. So I'm just taking medication
and trying to get through it."
Toms said the original plan was to have the surgery after the
Masters and return in time for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
Then comes a round like Friday - 11 shots better than his
opening 74 - and he wonders if he can go longer.
"I felt like I was getting through it a little bit, at least
where I feel like I can still play golf," Toms said. "But I'm still
in a lot of pain. I can't even toss a ball to my caddie when I get
the ball out of the hole or have it marked. At 43, when you start
having those little nagging things like that, what's next?"
What concerns him the most is losing some 10 yards off the
tee from a year ago. Not only does that mean longer clubs into the
green, he said knowing he has lost distance is affecting him
mentally.
Toms said he saw a magazine article that noted how much
farther his playing partners were driving it past him. It didn't
help at Doral that he was paired with Charl Schwartzel and Nick
Watney in the first two rounds, and Henrik Stenson in the third
round, all of whom hit it well past him even when he's healthy.
"That's part of getting old," he said. "But at the same time,
being injured and old is not a good thing."
If he keeps scoring like this, Toms said he could try to make
it through the year and have surgery in the offseason.
