US TOUR:TWICE WINNER David Toms is eager to banish memories of an injury-affected season at this week's St Jude Championship starting in Memphis, Tennessee, today.
The 41-year-old American has been struggling with a bad back but hopes to make the most of a return to one of his most successful hunting grounds on the PGA Tour.
"My game hasn't been where it needs to be the last six or eight months and where I am accustomed to having it," Toms said.
"I just have a couple (of) bad discs in my lower back and the muscles around there will flare up from time to time if those discs get inflamed. Something I just have to monitor all the time.
"But I've had success here before and won a couple of times. I've always felt very comfortable playing this golf course."
Champion in 2003 and 2004, Toms has finished no worse than tied for 10th in his last six appearances at the TPC Southwind. He is a combined 72 under par for his last 24 rounds over the 7,239-yard layout.
"We all try to draw on our past experiences, especially the good ones, and try to forget the bad ones," said Toms, whose best finish in 11 PGA Tour starts this season was a tie for 17th at last month's Wachovia Championship.
"I've always had a lot of good memories of this place. I guess they could reroute the entire place and I'd still feel pretty comfortable."
Toms, who clinched the biggest title of his career at the 2001 PGA Championship in Atlanta, faces a reasonably strong line-up in Memphis.
The British Open champion, Pádraig Harrington, is the only Irishman in the field.
The American Woody Austin defends the title he won by five shots last year.
Austin wasn't feeling particularly good about his game heading into last year's St Jude Championship. But he made a swing adjustment at the Memorial Tournament, got a few putts to fall and found himself the winner of his third tour title.
"I don't know if lightning can strike twice in the same place, but I feel like I'm in the same place," said the 44-year-old Austin, who is coming off a disappointing showing last week at Muirfield Village Golf Club, where he closed with a disastrous 84 to end up tied for 73rd.
"I'm actually playing pretty well right now. I'm just not getting anything out of the good rounds I've put out there."
St Jude Championship
Course:TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee
Length:7,239 yards. Par: 70
Prizemoney:$6 million, $1.08m for the winner
Field:156
Defending champion:Woody Austin shot a final round 62 as overnight leader Adam Scott crashed to a 75
First played:Fred Haas won the then-Memphis Invitational in 1945, with the war still on. St Jude came on board in 1985.
Most wins:Dave Hill, 4
On TV:Setanta Golf, 8.30pm-11.30pm
Weather: Very hot, in 90sF
