Champions Tour rookie David Toms is working to have quick success.

Tour rookie stayed sharp approaching 50

BOCA RATON — As he approached senior status, David Toms kept his golf game sharp by playing an average of 20 tournaments a year for the last five years on the PGA Tour.

Now in his rookie season on the PGA Tour Champions after turning 50 on Jan. 4, Toms hopes that preparation produces good results at the Allianz Championship, which is Friday through Sunday at the Old Course at Broken Sound.

“It was fun being able to be somewhat competitive all the way until I turned 50 years old and even have the option to play either tour this year, which a lot of guys don’t have,” said Toms, who finished 124th last year in the FedExCup standings.

“So I feel fortunate with that ... and playing a competitive schedule where a lot of guys that end up playing this tour, the last few years on the PGA Tour they weren’t able to play a consistent schedule. I’m hoping that will give me some sort of an advantage.”

Toms played in the Champions opener in Hawaii and finished tied for fourth, three shots behind winner Bernhard Langer. His second round 63 was the lowest of the tournament.

The Shreveport, La., resident, who won the 2001 PGA Championship, said he will play the senior tour full time, but he will also play in a handful of PGA Tour events, such as The Players Championship, the PGA and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

His game is solid aside from his putting, which can be “a little bit streaky.” His driving — he averaged 274 yards in Hawaii — was “not far enough to play the PGA Tour very well, but I think it will be OK out here.

“Still behind some guys, maybe ahead of some other guys and probably middle of the pack, which is fine with me. I just don’t want to be that guy that hits first into every hole every week.”

Toms tees off at 10:15 a.m. in Friday’s opening round with John Daly and fellow rookie Paul McGinley. Determining how to play the Old Course is one of his immediate goals.

“The golf course is in great shape,” said Toms, who played a practice round Tuesday and in a Pro-Am Wednesday. “I’m just trying to figure out where to go on a lot of holes. Some of the holes are more position holes than anything else.

“So I think … the key for me this week is really paying attention to where I want to go, position off the tee and some of the pin placements that you can go for, others that you need to back off.”

Woosnam headed to Hall

Ian Woosnam spoke Wednesday afternoon about his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame, which is Sept. 26 in New York City to coincide with the Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club.

“To be joining some of the great golfers that are in that Hall of Fame is just unbelievable,” said Woosnam, 58, who was born in Wales and now has homes in England and Barbados. “As the time gets closer and closer to September, I think I’m getting more and more excited about it.”

Woosnam won 30 times on the European Tour but is best known for his dramatic par-saving putt on the 72nd hole to win the 1991 Masters. He also was the world’s No. 1 player for 50 weeks in 1991 and 1992 and was a member of eight European Ryder Cup teams.

Asked if he ever thought he’d be elected to the Hall of Fame, Woosnam said, “I was getting a little bit concerned about it.

“Sometimes, you know, when you just sit back a little bit and take it easy, people forget about you a little bit and I think maybe that’s what I did. I think if you keep yourself in the limelight, I might have been in the Hall of Fame quicker.”

STEVE WATERS/STAFF PHOTO David Toms, who is playing in his first Allianz Championship, follows his tee shot on the 10th hole Wednesday afternoon during a Pro-Am at the Old Course at Broken Sound.