Toms Is Rushed to Hospital

David Toms was in good condition after developing a rapid pulse during the 84 Lumber Classic at Farmington, Pa., on Thursday and being rushed by helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital.

Toms was even par through nine holes -- he started on No. 10 -- before being taken off the course on a stretcher, according to PGA Tour officials. He was taken first to Uniontown Hospital, then was flown to Pittsburgh’s UPMC-Presbyterian University Hospital.

Toms, 38, was listed in good condition Thursday night, the administrator on duty, Dolores Stairs, said. Earlier in the evening, the hospital listed Toms’ condition as critical.

“I have an issue with my heart, but it won’t be a life-threatening situation,” Toms said in a statement released by the PGA Tour. “I am staying overnight in the hospital to get some further evaluation and tests done. The doctors will then give me some options on how to treat this issue.

“I appreciate all the people that helped me today, as well as the concern shown by everyone associated with the tournament.”

Toms, who won the PGA Championship in 2001, ranks fourth on the PGA Tour’s money list this season with $3.7 million. He won the World Golf Championships Match Play title in February and has 11 PGA Tour victories since 1997.

Shaun Micheel, Toms’ playing partner, bogeyed his final three holes to settle for a seven-under 65. Micheel is in a four-way tie for the lead with Mark O’Meara, Charlie Wi and Jason Gore.

“It shook me up. He went down to his knee, got up and walked a few steps and then went back to his knee,” Micheel said. “When an ambulance backs up to the first tee, it tells you it’s a little more serious....

“I asked him if he wanted a drink of water, and he just said his chest was hurting and his heart was racing,” Micheel said. “I’m not a doctor ... but that’s generally not a good sign. He just turned real white, just didn’t have color in his face.”

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Former winner Colin Montgomerie was eliminated in the 36-hole first round of the World Match Play Championship at Virginia Water, England, by Mark Hensby, who will next face top-seeded Retief Goosen.

Hensby, seeded ninth, won, 2 and 1, against the eighth-seeded Montgomerie, who won the title in 1999. Goosen beat Kenneth Ferrie, 8 and 7.

There are no Americans in the tournament.

Third-seeded Luke Donald scored a 7-and-6 victory over Bernhard Langer. U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, seeded fourth, beat Geoff Ogilvy, 1-up; second-seeded Angel Cabrera beat Trevor Immelman, 2 and 1; Steve Elkington defeated Tim Clark, 6 and 5; Paul McGinley downed Thomas Bjorn, 6 and 5; and Jose Maria Olazabal eagled the final hole to edge David Howell, 1 up.

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Camilo Villegas shot a seven-under 64, good for a one-shot lead over Tom Scherrer and Andrew Pratt in the Nationwide Tour’s Mark Christopher Charity Classic at Rancho Cucamonga. Mike Heinen is two strokes back in the $450,000 event.

Empire Lakes Golf Course, where the event is being played, announced that all the proceeds from merchandise sales would go to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

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Kevin Marsh routed Carlton Forrester, 10 and 9, in the 36-hole match play final at Chattanooga, Tenn., to win the men’s U.S. Mid-Amateur championship. The women’s Mid-Amateur championship, held at Richmond, Texas, was won by Canada’s Mary Anne Lapointe, who became the first foreign-born winner of the event by defeating Kerry Postillion, 1-up.