Toshiba’s intrigue is worldwide

BRYCE ALDERTON

In a global society, the Toshiba Senior Classic continues to stretch

its tentacles to countries near and far to gather the talent that has

come to characterize the most philanthropic stop on the Champions

Tour.

Thanks to the senior tour’s national qualifying tournament (aka

Q-school) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last fall, this year’s field --

released Monday -- includes former European Ryder Cup captains, an

11-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour and a native from Zimbabwe who

won the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am in his Champions Tour debut two

weeks ago.

Mark McNulty became the 11th player to win his first Champions

Tour event when he shot a 13-under-par 200 to defeat Larry Nelson by

one stroke in the Outback. McNulty, born in Zimbabwe but now living

in England, claimed the top prize at last year’s national qualifying

tournament after shooting a 68 in the final round to defeat England’s

Mark James by three strokes.

James, who played for and captained European Ryder Cup teams, is

also among the field of 78. He is recovering from knee surgery, but

is expected to play.

Englishman Sam Torrance, a 21-time winner on the European Tour and

captain of the victorious European Ryder Cup team in 2002, will make

his debut during this year’s Toshiba Senior Classic -- March 15-21.

Torrance finished tied for sixth at last year’s qualifying tournament

while Japan’s Hajime Meshiai placed third.

“This is a feat for our field,” tournament director Jeff Purser

said of the international players making the trip to Newport Beach.

“The [international players] tend to look at an event like this in a

more social manner. They enjoy themselves and the fans realize that

and enjoy interacting with them.”

James, who played on seven Ryder Cup teams, has been a mainstay on

the European Tour for the last 27 years, winning 18 times from

1978-1997.

McNulty has won $650,000 playing in 112 PGA Tour events and has

won 55 times since turning professional in 1977.

The list of international flavor also features last year’s winner,

Australian Rodger Davis, Isao Aoki, a nine-time Champions Tour

winner, Jose Maria Canizares, the 2001 champion, Vincente Fernandez,

who finished in the top three in four events last year and Graham

Marsh, the 1997 U.S. Senior Open champion.

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This year’s field was reduced back to 78 players after the tour

experimented with 81 last year.

An effort was made to get more former PGA Tour winners into

fields. Four players each week ages 50-51 with career victories on

the PGA Tour, who are not otherwise exempt, are eligible to compete

in tournaments.

Of the five exemptions, three spots are restricted for those

players with career victories on the PGA Tour.

Andy Bean and 1976 U.S. Open champion Jerry Pate have 11 and eight

PGA Tour victories, respectively, and are scheduled to compete in

this year’s Toshiba.

Without the career victories category, they would have been shut

out.

“Each tournament is certain to have in its field a good

representation of players that won on the PGA Tour,” Purser said. “It

is not as if half the field didn’t have PGA Tour victories, but the

money situation has gotten so much ... that these guys that won eight

or 10 years ago may not be eligible for the all-time money list. The

purses on the PGA Tour have escalated to where they are playing for

millions a week. Guys like Andy Bean, who wouldn’t have made the

all-time money list, would have gotten squeezed out. Jerry Pate, who

hasn’t competed a lot, can come out, get his feet wet and hone his

skills.”

Pate made three starts on the PGA Tour last year and was expected

to make his Champions Tour debut in September, but shoulder surgery

in July postponed his debut until earlier this winter.

*

Newport Harbor High classes of 1973 and 1974 are hosting a golf

tournament July 3 at the Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course in Irvine.

Tournament organizer Jeff Sebek (‘73) said a failed attempt at a

30-year reunion was cause to combine with the class of ’74 to host a

golf tournament.

“The first goal is to try and fill it with as much alumni and

friends as possible,” Sebek said.

Sebek is joined on the tournament committee by Judy Bostwick,

Laurie Nichols, Danny Greyshock, Erik Escher, Jackie Humble, Tina

Bright, Tina Bazacas, Patrick Honeywell, Mark Jones, Tom Searles and

A.G. Kawamura, California’s agriculture secretary.

For $125, each player gets a round of golf with a cart and dinner.

Foursomes will tee off in a shotgun start at 1 p.m.

Interested players can call (949) 722-6717, ext 111 for more

information.