As if he needed an extra inducement to win his first PGA Tour event after years of struggling, David Toms also had to think about the son who will be born any day now.
Carter Toms will need lots of diapers and formula, and the winner's share of the Quad City Classic - $243,000 - was more than Toms had earned in any entire season."He gave me incentive to play well," Toms said. "A child is expensive, from what I've been told."
Properly inspired, Toms shot a 5-under-par 65 Sunday to pull away for a three-stroke victory.
"I've had people tell me, `It's your time, it's your time, it's your time.' It finally was," Toms said. "I could finish second 20 times and make Ryder Cup teams, but to win a PGA Tour event . . . that's something they can never take away from you.
"The money's nice, too. I'm going to put this in the bank so my son can go to college."
Toms won't apologize that the victory came in an event skipped by Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and the rest of the tour's big shots.
"People say this was a weak field," he said. "But there are Ryder Cup participants here. There are President's Cup participants here. There are tour winners here."
It took 151 career tournaments for Toms to be a tour winner, too.
"It takes the monkey off my back," said Toms, who finished with a 15-under 265 score at Oakwood Country Club to join Stuart Appleby and Frank Nobilo as first-time winners this year. "I've been in this position before and didn't perform well."
The 30-year-old former Louisiana State standout held off the challenge of two dozen others who were within striking distance heading into Sunday's play.
Robert Gamez, Jimmy Johnston and Brandel Chamblee tied for second at 12-under. Another stroke back were Brad Fabel, who shared the lead with Toms after the third round, and Frank Lickliter.
Johnston closed with a 62 and could have tied Mike Smith's 1987 tournament record for low round, but missed a 10-foot birdie putt on his last hole.