David Toms
A methodical and precise American golfer who captured a major with surgical accuracy and built a career on remarkable consistency.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American professional golfer·Birthday: January 4·Generation X
Biography
David Toms emerged from Shreveport, Louisiana, with a game built not on overpowering length but on impeccable course management and a wizard-like short game. His breakthrough arrived in dramatic fashion at the 2001 PGA Championship, where his calculated play at Atlanta Athletic Club culminated in a famous lay-up and wedge on the 72nd hole to secure his only major victory. For years, Toms was a fixture on leaderboards, amassing 13 PGA Tour wins through a blend of steady driving and a putter that often ran hot. He represented the United States in multiple Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams, valued for his calm demeanor under pressure. In his later career, he transitioned smoothly to the PGA Tour Champions, proving the longevity of his polished, thoughtful approach to the game.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
David was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2001 PGA Championship, his sole major victory.
- Accumulated 13 victories on the PGA Tour over a 25-year career.
- Represented the United States in three Ryder Cup teams (2002, 2004, 2006).
- Reached a career-high world ranking of number five in 2002 and 2003.
Did You Know?
He founded the David Toms Foundation in 2003, which has raised millions for children's causes in Louisiana.
He shot a 59 in the 2011 Hyundai Tournament of Champions, one of the few sub-60 rounds in PGA Tour history.
His 2001 PGA Championship win was sealed with a hole-out from a bunker for par on the 71st hole.
“I've always been a guy who plots my way around the golf course.”
