The Louisiana player grabbed his Ryder Cup chance with both hands by winning the 2001 USPGA Championship.
Toms was 14th in the Ryder Cup points table going into the event and was unlikely to feature in the final reckoning.
But seeing off Phil Mickelson in the final round at Atlanta propelled him to fifth place.
On his Masters debut in 1998, Toms finished joint sixth after playing the last nine holes in a record-equalling 29 which included six successive birdies.
This year, Toms has impressed again, recording a number of top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour.