For Gilbert, Truly a Dream Come True

Years of dreaming and a big family gamble finally paid off for Larry Gilbert.

Gilbert, a former club pro from Kentucky, played solid if unspectacular golf Sunday to outdistance crowd-favorite Jack Nicklaus and win the Senior Players Championship at Dearborn, Mich.

“This is incredible,” Gilbert said. “You think back to all the time you spent out there on the practice tee, just hitting balls, all by yourself. You pretend you’re always on the 18th green for something like this.

Gilbert shot a five-under 67 and finished with a 14-under 274 and a three-stroke victory over two-time champion Dave Stockton, Japan’s Isao Aoki, Jack Kiefer and Bob Dickson.

Aoki and Kiefer each shot 68 and Stockton and Dickson had 70s.

Nicklaus never made a move after starting the day one stroke off the lead and shot a 72 for a 280, six strokes off the pace. He was tied with Australian Graham Marsh, who also shot a 72.

Gilbert, who won the PGA Club Professional championship three times, felt he was taking a big chance when he left Lexington for the Senior PGA Tour in 1993.

“I had two kids in college when I quit my job to come out here,” Gilbert said. “It was a big gamble at the time. We didn’t have to sell the house or anything, but we did dig deep into the savings account. Like maybe the bottom of it.”

It was the biggest payday for Gilbert, who earned $270,000.

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David Toms struggled. He lost his PGA Tour card. He got it back. He struggled some more. The few times he contended, he folded down the stretch. Sometimes, he wondered if he was meant to be a pro golfer.

Toms ended nine years of frustration by putting well and shooting a five-under 65 and a three-stroke victory in the Quad City Classic at Coal Valley, Ill. He won $243,000.

“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.”

Playing in his 151st career event, Toms finished at 15-under 265. He had rounds of 67, 66 and 67 before a final round of 65 at Oakwood Country Club.

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.

Toms joined Stuart Appleby and Frank Nobilo as first-time winners on tour this year.

Toms’ wife, Sonya, is due to give birth to their first child, a boy, on Aug. 2. The name Carter has been selected.

“Maybe we’ll call him Quad City,” Toms said. “He gave me incentive to play well, because a child is expensive, from what I’ve been told.”

Toms, 30, was a tour regular, if not a winner, for three years before losing his card after finishing 164th on the 1994 money list. He regained his tour privileges by finishing third on the 1995 Nike Tour money list and then earned a career-best $205,188 last year to retain his card for 1997.