Sep
19
A dead David Toms won't help golf a lick
Less than a week removed from kneeling on the golf course clutching his chest, David Toms has announced that he will hold off on corrective heart surgery so that he can compete for the PGA Tour in the Presidents Cup.
David Toms: Championship golfer, great American, idiot.
“I’ll be fine,” Toms said on Sunday. “I’m going to … see how my body reacts to the medication I’m on and go from there.”
So if Toms drops dead from a massive cardiac incident on the fairway, we’ll assume his body didn’t react as well to the beta-blockers as he had hoped.
As a sport, golf is about as challenging to one’s heart as just watching golf is, but there are times when maybe it’s just best to sit one out.
It’s nice that Toms wants to show that good ol’ American gumption by playing. Hey, Lance Armstrong won seven Tour de France titles after fighting off cancer of the testes, lungs and brain. Of course, he waited until after that had been resolved to resume riding.
So David, trust me here, take a little time off of golf to have a heart operation. First of all, face it, no one cares about the Presidents Cup. Second, John McSherry and Hank Gathers have already experimented with dropping dead on the field of play, and it didn’t advance their careers one bit.
Writers love talking about an athlete’s heart, but this is a different matter. Get yours fixed, David, and we’ll see you next year.
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19 comments
Comment from: Shanks [Visitor]
That Toms is willing to put off the heart procedure to play indicates 2 things. First of all, his doctors have given him the go ahead and there is no threat to his life. It's a matter of whether the medicine makes him feel too strange to play. And secondly, the players actually do care about the Cup. I can only presume that you didn't watch the 2003 event, which happened to be one of the greatest team events in golf history. Why wouldn't it be great again? It only involves the very best players in the world, save a few Euros named Garcia, Harrington & Clarke. The real question is why is the press not on board with this yet? It is guaranteed to be fantastic again.
09/19/05 @ 12:08
Comment from: Ed [Visitor]
I have to consider becoming a writer for Travel.com. I get regular (and unwanted) emails from the curent staff that contain the dumbest stuff I have ever read and yet your all holding down great golf travel jobs. The ONLY skill you appear to need is to is to be able to write something stupid and contoversial enough that it will stir up the reading public and have them tune in for more.
"NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE PRESIDENTS CUP"...You may just be the best of the dumb!
09/19/05 @ 12:25
Comment from: Stan [Visitor]
I heard an interview with a cardiologist on Golf Channel the day of the incident.
It seems that the irregular heartbeats occur from a malady in the upper portion of the heart, whereas the heart problems that lead to a heart attack are in the lower.
The occurance of the irregular heartbeat does not imply an impending heart attack-they are two totally different heart problems.
It seems that the irregular heartbeats occur from a malady in the upper portion of the heart, whereas the heart problems that lead to a heart attack are in the lower.
The occurance of the irregular heartbeat does not imply an impending heart attack-they are two totally different heart problems.
09/19/05 @ 15:51
I walked in the HeartWalk in Austin, TX, Saturday for my mom, grandmother and friend's family members, etc. I included David Toms in my efforts. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer, stroke No. 3. If you care about heart disease, please consider making a donation on behalf of David and other victims on my behalf or directly to the American Heart Association.
09/19/05 @ 16:19
My participant # for donation purposes: 62093248
Online donations are minimum $25.
Checks can be mailed to
AHA
1700 Rutherford Lane
Austin, TX 78754
Online donations are minimum $25.
Checks can be mailed to
AHA
1700 Rutherford Lane
Austin, TX 78754
09/19/05 @ 16:23
Comment from: Al Clark [Visitor]
Yo Billy Boy
You have some unfinished business on the 2 Iowa threads buddy. Do you think that if you ignore the situation which you started that it will go away ? I don't think so ! You owe many people an apology. This issue will not die until we recieve one.
Al Clark
You have some unfinished business on the 2 Iowa threads buddy. Do you think that if you ignore the situation which you started that it will go away ? I don't think so ! You owe many people an apology. This issue will not die until we recieve one.
Al Clark
09/19/05 @ 17:42
Stan, Shanks and Ed (if those are, in fact, your real names).
So I see. You're going ahead with the theory of, "Hey, it's just his heart, it's not like he'll die or anything."
Now, I'm no doctor (I'm four credits short still), and I'm sure Toms has a 99% of not dying on the course. However, that one percent would be enough for me to advise him not to play in what is, in its basic form, a sanctioned, made-for-TV event.
Now, Al Clark:
I'm impressed. Impressed at your dedication to Iowa. It's somewhat noble. Keep it up, there's obviously a future in it for you. Because, right now, you really have me thinking. Thinking about Iowa.
-- WKW
So I see. You're going ahead with the theory of, "Hey, it's just his heart, it's not like he'll die or anything."
Now, I'm no doctor (I'm four credits short still), and I'm sure Toms has a 99% of not dying on the course. However, that one percent would be enough for me to advise him not to play in what is, in its basic form, a sanctioned, made-for-TV event.
Now, Al Clark:
I'm impressed. Impressed at your dedication to Iowa. It's somewhat noble. Keep it up, there's obviously a future in it for you. Because, right now, you really have me thinking. Thinking about Iowa.
-- WKW
09/20/05 @ 05:55
Comment from: John Rogers [Visitor]
I can't believe you took the time to write such a stupid article.
09/20/05 @ 09:19
Comment from: Shanks [Visitor]
WKW
You ARE smarter than some of the other responders would lead me to believe. I mean, how could you have possibly guessed that Shanks isn't my real name?
You ARE smarter than some of the other responders would lead me to believe. I mean, how could you have possibly guessed that Shanks isn't my real name?
09/20/05 @ 11:45
Comment from: William K. Wolfrum [Visitor]
Haw! I didn't guess, Shanks. I knew. You see, my people are everywhere. Well, everywhere except Iowa, that is.
09/20/05 @ 13:53
Comment from: Al Clark [Visitor]
Obviously other people that have read you comments also see that your a freckin idiot.
You know, All you had to do was apologize for your dumbass comments and insults but obiviously you don't plan on doing that. You sir a truely a freckin idiot.
You know, All you had to do was apologize for your dumbass comments and insults but obiviously you don't plan on doing that. You sir a truely a freckin idiot.
09/20/05 @ 14:42
Comment from: Shanks [Visitor]
Hey Al,
I think those charm school classes are wearing off ... you might want to sign up for a refresher.
I think those charm school classes are wearing off ... you might want to sign up for a refresher.
09/21/05 @ 07:18
Comment from: John Lundy [Visitor]
This Heart condition is a killer and cannot be ignored. For proof chec out www.aaronlundy.com
09/21/05 @ 10:13
Comment from: Al Clark [Visitor]
Shanks.....
Nahhh.... I just plan on being a thorn in moron's arse until he decides to appologize for his dumb comments. A real man would of done that a long time ago.
Al
Nahhh.... I just plan on being a thorn in moron's arse until he decides to appologize for his dumb comments. A real man would of done that a long time ago.
Al
09/21/05 @ 15:16
Comment from: Mulligan [Visitor]
Toms heart malady is most likely non life-threatening, but when it happens, it really makes you feel like crap (personal experience here) The operation will probably be a catheter ablation procedurre. The procedure's goal is to find out what bad electrical connection in his heart is causing the rapid beat, then using a heat probe to cauterize the bad connection...
09/23/05 @ 19:52
Thanks for a personal view of this, Mulligan. Hopefully your poroblems have been corrected.
By all means, I understand that Toms would want to play. He's an athlete and a champion at that. His right arm and half of his head could fall off and he'd be trying to convince Nicklaus he could play.
What's troubling, but hopefully will get people to get themselves checked -- Toms has been dealing with this for four years.
If someone goes into a hospital emergency room and says they have chest problems, they drop everything to help. The heart is high-priority. I don't think I'm guilty of hyperbole (which normally I like to be) to say that trying to "wait out" a heart condition is a dangerous idea.
Again, thanks Mulligan.
-- WKW
By all means, I understand that Toms would want to play. He's an athlete and a champion at that. His right arm and half of his head could fall off and he'd be trying to convince Nicklaus he could play.
What's troubling, but hopefully will get people to get themselves checked -- Toms has been dealing with this for four years.
If someone goes into a hospital emergency room and says they have chest problems, they drop everything to help. The heart is high-priority. I don't think I'm guilty of hyperbole (which normally I like to be) to say that trying to "wait out" a heart condition is a dangerous idea.
Again, thanks Mulligan.
-- WKW
09/24/05 @ 05:55
Comment from: Bronco [Visitor]
Dopey DT
Look at the guy...he's all doped up, and I, for one, am extremely jealous. I feel bad for DT, playing in an extremely important tourney with lots on the line...and then you see DT glance at the trees before he "fades away" into this immaculate state of bliss.
No, he won't die, not for a long time golf fans. This week, and perhaps for awhile, DT is flying high.
Look at the guy...he's all doped up, and I, for one, am extremely jealous. I feel bad for DT, playing in an extremely important tourney with lots on the line...and then you see DT glance at the trees before he "fades away" into this immaculate state of bliss.
No, he won't die, not for a long time golf fans. This week, and perhaps for awhile, DT is flying high.
09/25/05 @ 00:43
Comment from: Gene H. [Visitor]
Chuck,
Thanks for the level-headed and informative comments about Atril Fib. I, too, have had this condition for many years. Everything you said has been confirmed in my own experience.
I have never had a doctor's recommendation for surgery to treat this condition. Medication has got it under control. If Toms does in fact have A.Fib., his playing in a golf tournament does not threaten his life. The comments from the writer above are uninformed and unnecessary hyperbole.
10/08/05 @ 17:12
This is a great article. I am new to your blog and i like what I see. I look forward to your future work.
I’ve taken a quick look at your postings, which are very interesting. Lots of material and ideas! Congrats on being so focused!
I’ve taken a quick look at your postings, which are very interesting. Lots of material and ideas! Congrats on being so focused!
12/06/06 @ 07:27
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