Toms inspired to make Match Play final

David Toms was inspired as he overcame Ian Poulter at the Accenture World Match Play Championship in California.

Poulter led their semi-final at La Costa three times early on. But on each occasion 2003 runner-up Toms came back to level before turning on a dazzling display to win three and two and set up a final against Ryder Cup team-mate Chris DiMarco for the first prize.

DiMarco was three down to Retief Goosen, but stormed back to win two and one.

First Toms hit a fairway wood to within five feet of the ninth flag to nose in front for the first time.

Then he pitched in for an eagle two at the next – the day after Poulter did the same to second round opponent Stuart Appleby.

Poulter's shot had been from 132 yards, while Toms’ was from 123, the ball landing seven feet beyond the hole and spinning in.

Spectacular though that was, what followed was better. Incredibly, Toms made it back-to-back eagles without having to putt either time and moved three clear with seven to play.

Poulter had produced a fine 246-yard wood to 22 feet on the par-five 11th, but from 12 yards closer Toms put his to two feet.

Lesser men might have folded at that point, believing that they were destined to lose, but Poulter took the short 12th “against the head” by holing from 16 feet and seeing Toms miss from 10.

The 38-year-old from Louisiana was not thrown off his stride, though. He did drive into thick rough on the 15th but, having chopped out, this time he hit a 84-yard pitch to five inches and remained two up.

The contest ended with yet another superlative shot from Toms. He was only eight feet from the flag at the 188-yard 16th and fittingly rolled in the putt.

The other match saw a “What Happened Next?” moment at the long eighth.

Goosen won the first three holes, but fluffed a chip to lose the seventh and then hit his drive into a tree. With no sign of the ball Irish caddie Colin Byrne clambered up and after a couple of minutes thrashing around with a club a ball did drop down.

It was not the South African’s, however, and Goosen decided to concede rather than go back to the tee with an outside chance of getting a half.

Nick Faldo, commentating, thought that a very odd decision and DiMarco seized all the momentum.

He saved a half in birdies at the 10th with a 15-foot putt, then added further birdies at the 11th, 13th and 14th and won them all to be two up. On the last of those he chipped in just as he had in his quarter-final against Stewart Cink.

DiMarco’s bogey on the next brought the gap back to one and he was in danger of losing the 17th. But he got up and down and Goosen three-putted to lose.