Thinking of Toshiba

BRYCE ALDERTON

Last week I was at Newport Beach Country Club watching Corona del Mar

High’s girls golf team continue to shine this season with a

convincing victory over Laguna Beach for its fourth straight Pacific

Coast League victory.

The late afternoon sun poked its head through below pine branches

to the right of the ninth fairway as I strolled the course in a cart

a kind employee allowed me to borrow.

I caught up to the first foursome, which included CdM’s Katie

McKitterick and Katie Albright, at the seventh hole and followed them

through the finishing hole -- the par-4 ninth.

In the midst of meandering around trees to get a glimpse of the

competition on this October day, I couldn’t help but think five

months down the road to March when the Toshiba Senior Classic makes

its annual stop at Newport Beach Country Club.

These same trails I follow in a cart now are where thousands will

walk come March, when the world’s finest senior golfers -- those 50

and older -- compete against one another in the most philanthropic

event on the Champions Tour.

I glance toward the 18th green, where a group is finishing, and

think back to skyboxes, where spectators watched Jack Nicklaus sink

his final putt on Sunday just seven months ago, in his first Toshiba

appearance.

Or defending champion Tom Purtzer shooting a record 62 in Friday’s

opening round.

OK enough thinking, now to the source: tournament director Jeff

Purser.

I called Purser to see how he was doing and to ask what’s in store

for next year.

It’s a little early for many specifics, but Purser is excited

about the possible field.

Names such as Curtis Strange, Greg Norman and Jay Haas sound

familiar?

It is still too early for commitments, but the possibility of

Strange, Norman and or Haas -- or all three -- only enhances what is

annually a stellar field.

Strange, a 17-time winner on the PGA Tour, including two U.S. Open

championships, resigned from his television analyst position at ABC

earlier this season after seven years with the company and intends to

start his Champions Tour career in February. He turns 50 January 30.

Norman, who turns 50 February 10, ranks 23rd on the PGA Tour’s

all-time money list and has won 20 times on the tour.

In recent years Norman has spent more of his time with his golf

course design business, but always draws a crowd wherever he plays.

Haas went back-and-forth between the Champions Tour and PGA Tour

at times this season, trying to earn enough points to make the U.S.

Ryder Cup squad. He didn’t tally enough points, but Hal Sutton still

selected Haas as one of the two captain’s picks for the U.S. squad.

Haas finished second in the Senior PGA Championship, his first

Champions Tour event last summer and placed third in the U.S. Senior

Open.

He also joined Craig Stadler and Peter Jacobsen as the only

players 50 or older to compete in the PGA Tour’s Players

Championship, often dubbed the fifth major.

All three made the cut and all three are possibilities for the

next Toshiba field. Stadler has won five times this season in his

first year on the Champions Tour. He shot 8-under-par 205, finishing

in a tie for 12th at last spring’s Toshiba.

Stadler trails Hale Irwin by only 39 points heading into this

weekend’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship while

Jacobsen sits in fourth and Haas ninth.

Commitments won’t come for some time, but it is fun to think of

the possibilities.

Sometimes the commitments don’t come until the 11th hour.

Nicklaus’ decision to play last year was a prime example.

Could you imagine the crowd following Norman, Strange, and

Stadler, or Nicklaus, Jacobsen and Haas?

Bring extra rolls of film, or there are those digital cameras,

too.

The rain gently falls outside as I write this. The grass will only

get greener from here.