Staying its course

The Toshiba Senior Classic begins its three-day golf tournament at

Newport Beach Country Club on Friday, but festivities begin Monday as

the players show up to practice and get ready not only for the event,

but also for pro-amateur rounds.

Hoag Hospital, the event’s lead charity, has organized the tourney

over the last five years, raising about $4.7 million for more than 20

charities. The tournament hopes to raise another $1 million this year

that will be given not only to Hoag’s foundation, but also to: the

Toshiba Senior Classic Scholarship Fund; Orangewood Children’s

Foundation; Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Cystic Fibrosis

Foundation of Orange County; Explorer Scouts of Orange County and Los

Angeles Conservation Corps.

On Thursday, City Editor James Meier met with Hoag Hospital

Executive Vice President Peter Foulke at the hospital to discuss this

year’s event and its future.

What does your involvement in the Toshiba Senior Classic entail?

Jeff Purser [the tournament’s director] reports to me. I’ve been

involved in it since we took over and hired Jeff [five years ago]. I

feel obligated to play in the pro-amateur event. It is very

enjoyable.

How has the event changed during the past five years?

It’s gotten bigger. Before we took it over, there were really no

funds available for charity. Now, it’s grown to where it provides $1

million-plus each year to charity. It’s a sell-out each year now.

What do you envision in the future at this point?

Probably larger. Hopefully, as the economy comes back and gets

stronger, it’ll be easier to sell it out instead of a lot of work to

sell it out. I really would like to see that. I think there’s a good

possibility to start a waiting list for sponsors.

Has that occurred before over the past five years?

No, I don’t think we’ve really gotten to the point of a waiting

list. We’ve been able to sell out all of the tents and pavilions, but

no waiting list.

What do you think the Classic brings to Newport Beach?

It really brings an opportunity for a lot of people to get

involved in charitable functions. There are over 1,000 volunteers,

people who can actually come out and support the charities, mainly

Hoag Hospital, in a way that’s fun and exciting. Health care is a

very tense, serious business. This is a way to get involved in

supporting the hospital in a lighter, more fun, venue.

It does bring prestige to the community as a whole. It’s an event

that’s extremely well run and recognized.

It provides more to charity than any other Champions Tour event

does, which gives the community and hospital recognition.

How much does Hoag hope to raise this year through the Classic?

This will probably be the toughest of the last three years because

of the economy. It would be fantastic if we could hit that

million-dollar mark again, and it would be a tremendous effort on the

staff’s part and community’s part if we do. The economy’s been tough

for two-plus years now. It’s hard to maintain it at that

[million-dollar] level.

What will Hoag do with its share of the money?

It goes to help the campaign for the Women’s Pavilion [slated to

open in 2005].

Any final thoughts?

I’d like to thank Toshiba as well for the support they’ve had and

have really stayed with us over the years. It really only happens

with the lead person’s support.

It’s absolutely key to the tournament.

It is a great event for the community to have an ability to

support the charitable activities. And it’s really fun for everyone.

Toshiba’s the lead sponsor, but there are a lot of other sponsors out

there that make this a major contribution to local charities and Hoag

Hospital.

And it’s just fun to go out there. It’s a great break from running

the hospital to go out there during the week and just enjoy the

tournament.

The seniors, from what I’ve seen and from what I’ve heard, really

do enjoy it. It’s the time of their life where it’s probably not as

serious or as tense and, therefore, they’re more relaxed out there

and, playing with the seniors, it’s fun. They’re having fun at this

stage in their life.

They’re probably enjoying golf more than anyone else -- PGA, us?

I would think so. They really seem to be enjoying what they’re

doing. For a lot of them, because of what the purses have done, if

they play well enough, they’re making good money on the Champions

Tour.