Golf column, Compassion driver

Richard Dunn

As we said farewell to the last tournament of the 1900s in the

Newport-Mesa golf community, Keith Wyrick of Newport Beach Golf Course

staged quite a closing act.

Wyrick, who beat the bushes hard on the Southern California senior

circuit in ‘99, captured first place in his own event, the inaugural

Holiday Senior Classic Pro-Am, for his unofficial 20th victory of the

year.

A scrapper around the golf course with a short backswing like Allen

Doyle on the Senior PGA Tour, Wyrick founded and organized the Holiday

Classic Pro-Am Dec. 23 to raise funds for his niece and nephew who suffer

from cystic fibrosis.

And, as far as Wyrick’s concerned, the event was a smash on and off

the course, capping a busy year.

“I’m in nowhere’s ville,” said Wyrick, who juggled three different

tours in ’99 and played in more events (54) than there are weeks in the

year.

Wyrick, 47, was the combined leading money winner for Southland

seniors on the Golden State, King Stahlmans and Tournament Players tours,

capturing 19 titles in ’99. But the wear and tear on his body, not to

mention his brand new van, took its toll.

“How many people you know played in 54 tournaments in a year?” Wyrick

said. “My ’99 van is only three months old and it already has 8,400 miles

on it. That’s a lot of driving.”

To prevent from getting burned out, Wyrick will scale back his playing

schedule in 2000 to about 20 events.

In the first Holiday Senior Classic Pro-Am, Wyrick, the affable and

longtime Newport Beach Golf Course starter and course record holder,

created a mini senior tour event with a $2,000 purse at stake.

In addition, the event served as a fund-raising vehicle for a cystic

fibrosis charity and featured a family theme in each foursome.

Wyrick took top honors, shooting seven-under-par 52 to win $500. Hank

Woodrome (Fullerton) was second at 54 ($400), followed by Glenn Stuart

(Carlsbad) and Jeff Walker (Lakewood) at 55 (both winning $275).

Costa Mesa’s Mark Kendrich and Carlsbad’s Max Anderson tied for fifth

at two-under 57 and earned $225 each. Gary Dixon (Fountain Valley) shot

58 ($175) as the seventh senior pro to shoot under par with the Santa Ana

winds blowing at Newport Beach Golf Course.

An event to benefit Children’s Hospital of Orange County will be held

March 27 at Newport Beach Country Club, following the 2000 Toshiba Senior

Classic.

The event is sponsored by The Ritz restaurant, which is hosting the

post-golf festivities, including an informal fashion show, silent

auction, gourmet dinner and entertainment by a Flamenco guitarist,

pianist and violinist. There is a hosted Martini bar.

The golf tournament features 36 celebrities from the world of

entertainment and sports, as well as a $1 million hole in one contest.

The field is limited to 300.

Sponsor prices range from $2,500 to $10,000, while individual player

packages are $500 each. Details: Contact Annie Nelson at Wish Sports

Enterprises, (949) 721-WISH (9474).

Gary McCord, defending Toshiba champion, popped into town Monday, and,

naturally, had plenty to say.

When asked if he always had broadcasting aspirations, McCord, the

wisecracking CBS television golf commentator, quipped:

“No. The only aspirations I had when I got out of college was I didn’t

want to work, like all of us derelicts in the 60s. So I started playing

golf. I figured that was the best thing to do. And then golf became work

... it became work and a lack of income. And, then, just by happenstance,

I got the television things lined up. All the planets lined up, I was at

the right place at the right time, and the producer and director liked

what I said and he kept me on.”

Another McCord excerpt from the press conference at Newport Beach

Country Club, regarding his broadcasting style:

“I don’t have a style. I don’t know what (style) is. I remember a long

time ago when I was just starting to work for CBS (in 1986), I asked Pat

Summerall, ‘Pat, what should I do? We’ve got these guys who are all

definite -- they’ve won this and they’ve done that. And, you know, here I

am just nothing, just hanging.’

“And he goes, ‘Just be yourself. The camera will catch you if you

lie.’ So I’m just, you know, Southern California here (raised in Garden

Grove). I’m just kind of goofy and I had a fat English guy that I could

attack (Colin Montgomerie), so I started having some fun with it.”

Can’t wait for Toshiba Senior Classic week (Feb. 28 through March 5)

for more McCord quotes.

McCord will speak at the event’s community breakfast Feb. 29 presented

by Deloitte & Touche at the Newport Beach Marriott. Details: (949)

515-4840.

The Toshiba Senior Classic has also launched a Web site, o7

ToshibaSeniorClassic.comf7 .