Some of the most notable names in the world of golf are set to tee off this week at the 19th Toshiba Classic, held at the Newport Beach Country Club March 11 – 17.
Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, Steve Elkington, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman, Loren Roberts, Curtis Strange, Tom Watson, and Fuzzy Zoeller are just some of the pro golfers scheduled to play in the Toshiba Classic, part of the Champions Tour (a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour).
The tournament week schedule includes Pro-Am rounds Monday through Thursday (with each foursome paired with a Champions Tour professional), followed by the Toshiba Classic rounds Friday through Sunday.
One of the highlights of the week is the annual Breakfast with a Champion, presented by the Allergan Corporation and set for Tuesday morning at Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa. Keynote speaker Steve Elkington, a Toshiba Classic rookie and 17-time professional winner, will share stories and anecdotes from nearly 30 years on the professional golf circuit.
During the breakfast, two top Orange County students will be awarded with a $10,000 scholarship from the Toshiba Classic Scholarship Fund, one of the Classic’s charitable arms comprised of Hoag Hospital Foundation and Toshiba America, Inc. Two students from Newport Beach are among the finalists: Ryon Sabouni of Corona del Mar High School, and Brian Morales of Newport Harbor High School.
The Toshiba Classic has set the standard for competitive play and charitable giving on the Champions Tour, and boasts one of the tour’s largest galleries thanks to Newport
Beach’s classic course, postcard-perfect weather and strong annual field of players.
The Toshiba Classic will award a $262,500 winner’s check to the 2013 champion and is televised on Golf Channel on Friday, March 15 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 16 from 4:30-6:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 17, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
The Toshiba Classic’s lead charity and operator is Hoag Hospital Foundation. The 2013 tournament will benefit the Mary and Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag for the third consecutive year. The Toshiba Classic has generated more than $15 million for charity in the last 15 years, the most on the Champions Tour. Hoag Hospital Foundation also received the inaugural PGA Champions Tour Charity of the Year Award in 1998.
Tickets for the Toshiba Classic are $20 if purchased in advance of tournament week or $25 at the gate. Season patron badges are $100, which provide week-long grounds and clubhouse admission for practice rounds and the tournament. Daily tickets providing grounds and clubhouse access are $40 per day. Visit toshibaclassic.com for more information.
–Information provided by Toshiba Classic/Champions Tour. Photos by Jim Collins.
