Micheel fades after playing partner's incident

Toms was taken to the hospital with chest pain and a rapid heart beat.

FARMINGTON, Pa. -- Shaun Micheel could be forgiven as a potentially great round turned into a very good one at the 84 Lumber Classic.

Once playing partner David Toms was rushed to a hospital with a racing pulse, Micheel had a lot more on his mind than golf.

Micheel was in the midst of cutting eight shots off par during a remarkable nine-hole stretch Thursday when Toms -- a former PGA champion -- became white-faced, dropped to his knee in discomfort complaining of a rapid heart beat and was rushed off the course in an ambulance.

Toms was listed in good condition at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, administrator on duty Dolores Stairs said. Earlier in the evening, the hospital gave Toms' condition as critical.

Micheel no doubt lost some of his concentration during what he called "a scary moment." He bogeyed his final three holes to settle for a 7-under 65, not long after a 59 or a 60 seemed a possibility.

"It shook me up. He went down to his knee, got up and walked a few steps and then went back to his knee," Micheel said. "When an ambulance backs up to the first tee, it tells you it's a little more serious."

Toms, 38, was initially taken to the nearby Uniontown Hospital, then was transported by helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian for further tests. Adam Young, the director of the David Toms Foundation, said Toms had spoken with his family several times during the evening and was alert.

Toms was even par through nine holes, taking a bogey on No. 18 after previously being 1 under.

"I asked him if he wanted a drink of water, and he just said his chest was hurting and his heart was racing," Micheel said. "I'm not a doctor ... but that's generally not a good sign. He just turned real white, just didn't have color in his face."

Micheel went on to birdie Nos. 1, 2 and 3 immediately after Toms was stricken, as the group started the day on No. 10, and had an eagle on the par-5 No. 5 and a birdie on the par-4 No. 6 to get to 10 under. At that point, three birdies in the final three holes would have given him a 59.

Instead, Micheel bogeyed the final three holes on the 7,516-yard Mystic Rock course to settle for a 7-under 65 and a four-way tie with Mark O'Meara, South Korea's Charlie Wi and Nationwide Tour phenom Jason Gore.

It's an eclectic group of leaders that has accomplished little on tour this year despite having two former major winners in O'Meara and Micheel, with none ranking higher on the money list than Micheel's No. 155.

Gore has just returned to the PGA Tour after winning three consecutive Nationwide events. He played in Sunday's final group of the U.S. Open before soaring to a final-round 84.