By Bobby Hall
Special to PGATOUR.com

MEMPHIS -- If this is May and the PGA TOUR is at the TPC Southwind, and that's affirmative on both counts, then it must be time for David Toms to make another run at a FedEx St. Jude Classic title.

When last seen at Southwind a year ago, Tom had just rallied from 11 shots back at the start of the final round to finish one stroke behind the eventual champion, Justin Leonard.

On that day, Toms, who was bidding for his third straight Memphis victory, shot 7-under-par 63. In his last four appearances here, Toms has finished fourth, first, first and second, and is the event's all-time leading money winner with more than $2.4 million.

So nobody is surprised that after 36 holes, Toms stands at 4 under, challenging for victory No. 3 in Memphis and his second on TOUR this year after winning the Sony Open in Hawaii.

"No matter what kind of results you've had at a place, you can always draw on that, but at the same time, you've still got to hit the shots," Toms said, "and that's what I'm going to have to do this weekend."

In the year since Toms last played in the FedEx St. Jude Classic, there have been some defining moments in his life and several of the key ones didn't involve golf. Of course, his golf is doing OK, too.

Toms, 39, is still ranked eighth in the Official World Golf Ranking, seventh among career money leaders ($25 million), and is eighth on the TOUR money list this year (with $2.1 million).

In the last year he's experienced the birth of his second child -- a daughter, Anna; seen much of his native state of Louisiana devastated by Hurricane Katrina; and survived a scary moment with his heart during the 84 LUMBER Classic.

His daughter was born in June. In August, Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. In September, the medical problem hit Toms, forcing emergency treatment at the course, an overnight stay in a Pittsburgh Hospital and serious concern from everyone who witnessed his collapse during the first round of the tournament.

In the wake of Katrina, the David Toms Foundation helped raise $1.5 million for Katrina relief, including a $500,000 donation from the Bighorn Golf Club. His foundation gave $100,000 each to four New Orleans charities. In an attempt to assist recovery, Toms went to a shelter at the LSU-Shreveport gym and handed out 500 Wal-Mart gift certificates worth $100 each.

"I saw the people first hand and heard their stories," Toms told the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper earlier this week. "After we handed out the Wal-Mart cards, we tried to pick families, and get them into permanent housing and help them get their feet on the ground."

Then came the heart episode.

"I still get questions about it," said Toms, who needed a surgical procedure in November at the Mayo Clinic to correct the rapid heartbeat problem known as Supraventricular Tachycardia. "Every week somebody will ask me in the gallery or somebody with the media or just somebody with the golf tournament. .. you know, am I OK?

"It kinda scared me. There are so many things you take for granted in life, and, certainly, at that point in time I was taking my health for granted. I'm fine now. It's definitely behind me and I don't have to worry about it. Just like when I had the hand surgery a couple of years ago. I came out and was able to play well right away and erase any questions that I might have and whether or not I was going to be able to do it again.

"I've come a long way, obviously, from that day in Pennsylvania."

And now he's back in Memphis again.

With the greens firm and the wind blowing, Toms has been solid. He played the back nine first Friday and shot 4-under-par 31 with a birdie 3 at No. 15, an eagle 3 at No. 16 and a birdie 3 at No. 18.

"I hit a great 5-wood into 16 and made eagle from about six feet," he said.

An errant tee shot on the par-4 No. 7 resulted in a bogey and he followed with a three-putt bogey at No. 8 -- "it can happen that fast," he said -- before making birdie on the par-4 ninth with a 4-foot putt.

"Par is a good score around here and you have to work hard to make birdies," Toms said. "You really have to pick and choose where you attack into greens. I'm playing well.

"I feel good about my game, and that's the main thing."

That's not good news for other challengers, especially when Toms is playing in Memphis.