Toms fires personal best 65 at Stadium Course

• By Ryan Ballengee
• May 13, 2012 5:17 PM ET

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – David Toms has been playing at the Stadium Course for 20 years.  In his 60th round at The Players Championship, the playoff runner-up from a year ago fired his best-ever round at the Stadium Course.

Toms shot 7-under 65 to close the week on 9 under par and in position for a top-10 finish.

"I was so far back," Toms said. "I was just trying to have a decent finish. So, there's no reason why I shouldn't shoot at a flag. What's the difference between 44th and 34th? That's the way I was playing out there and I just happened to play a great round of golf."

Perhaps Toms should play with abandon more often here. After two bogeys in the first three holes, Toms closed the front nine with four straight birdies. He made three more birdies in the final six holes to cap off a round which ties the best of the week. The final-round effort beat his prior best round, a pair of 66s in the first round last year and in the third round in 2001.

Having been in the mix a year ago against K.J. Choi, however, Toms understands the difference in his Sunday approach as opposed to the contenders.

"You would take par on every hole no matter what's going on out there," he said, "because, at the end of the day, you would be in pretty good position."