Update on David Toms

David Toms plans to play in the President's Cup this coming week and then according to this article will have surgery to correct the condition that caused his collapse at the 84 Lumber Classic this week.

Here's an article that names his heart condition:

Toms facing heart surgery
From correspondents in Farmington
18sep05

DAVID Toms will have surgery to correct a heart problem that forced him to withdraw from a PGA event this week, but that operation will not come before he plays in next week's Presidents Cup.

The 38-year-old American collapsed during Thursday's first round of the $US4.4 million-dollar 84 Lumber Classic and was treated by paramedics before being taken to UPMC-Presbyterian University Hospital. He was released on Friday.

Doctors found Toms had not suffered a heart attack but suffers from supraventricular tachycardia, an electrical problem in the upper chamber of his heart that can be treated with medication and fixed by surgery.

"I'm on medication for it and I'm going to get it fixed pretty soon," Toms said Saturday. "They're going to fix it so I never have to withdraw after playing nine holes ever again."

Toms, whose only major title came at the 2001 PGA Championship, made it clear to US captain Jack Nicklaus and his rivals on the Internationals team that he will be fit and ready for next week's biennial team matches.

"Count on me for some points next week," Toms said.

Toms could have undergone surgery Monday in Pittsburgh to correct the heart problem, but the operation would have lasted up to six hours and left him to sore to compete in next week's Cup showdown against a non-European squad.

Toms first felt pain from the condition in 1991. His most recent pain before this worst-ever episode came last month at the World Golf Championships NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

Toms, ranked fourth on the US PGA tour money list, was stricken with a rapid heartbeat after playing his tee shot on the first hole, his 10th hole of the opening round.

"I was feeling fine. Then I bent over. I went to one knee and tried to get up and it just got worse. My heart started pounding pretty good," Toms recalled. "It got worse for about the next 30 minutes."

A paramedic tried to put an IV line into Toms' left arm but could not and instead inserted it into his right hand.

"I said, 'Don't do that. I've got my second shot to hit,"' Toms said. "She said, 'You're not going anywhere. An ambulance is on the way."'