Cook back at home

NEWPORT BEACH — Though John Cook lives less than a few minutes from Newport Beach Country Club, this will be his first foray at the Toshiba Classic and the 50-year-old couldn’t be more anxious.

His debut here could be a fulfilling one. It is a traditional layout that Cook’s game seems to thrive on.

“You have to shape shots, there are small greens,” Cook said. “You have to land the ball in different little areas to get the ball to feed to the hole. It may be short, but you’ve got to hit some quality golf shots. And it has a great, great set of par-threes. They don’t get any better.”

Cook has a little course knowledge, though it may be a little rusty. Cook, who grew up in the Palos Verdes area and went to Peninsula High, which back then was called Miraleste High, used to come to Newport Beach Country Club as a teenager.

“Back then it was called Irvine Coast,” Cook said. “

Cook, who lives in Corona del Mar, has been in Orange County for three years and usually plays his golf at Big Canyon Country Club, where he is a member, or El Niguel Country Club in Laguna Niguel. He refamiliarized himself with NBCC last week.

“I like this golf course,” Cook said. “You have to shape it off the tee, you have to have distance and trajectory control. The poa (anna) greens, some will be soft, some will be firm, so you really have to be patient. This is the kind of golf I grew up with, so I’m very comfortable here.”

Cook has also proved to be very at ease on the Champions Tour, despite this being his first full season. Cook became eligible Oct. 2 and played less than two weeks later at the Administaff Small Business Classic. He finished tied for 36th.

“It’s not easy to win here, I knew that going in,” Cook said. “Yes it was nice to get that first one out of the way. I was very familiar with that golf course. That first week in Houston I was a little anxious, I was so jacked up ready to play I just couldn’t settle down. I played decently on Sunday. I felt a little more in control and relaxed.”

The following week was much more productive. Cook won the AT&T; Championship, shooting rounds of 65, 68 and 65, defeating Mark O’Meara by two strokes.

“I felt way more comfortable that week and expected to have a better week,” Cook said. “Getting that out of the way early and beating Mark and Tom Kite down the stretch, playing with Loren Roberts on Sunday I beat the key guys. That’s the thing out here guys who have won a lot of tournaments are winning these tournaments. It’s not like it’s a bunch of rookies out here that can’t walk and chew gum when they are under the heat. I was pretty proud of winning. I hit some quality golf shots when I needed to. The timing was great and it was definitely a big relief.”

O’Meara, who grew up in Mission Viejo, used to battle Cook when the two were teenagers and Cook looked forward to getting back with old friends like O’Meara.

“It’s good to see the old guys,” Cook said, “but once you get inside the ropes on Friday the gloves are on.”

Cook begins his first full season on the Champions Tour and in four events Cook has two top-10 finishes.

It is a big difference than Cook’s last full season on the PGA Tour, when he made five cuts in 13 events and his best finish was a tie for 30th.

“I was frustrated because there was only two or three weeks that I could really compete on the regular tour on certain golf courses,” Cook said. “Out here I feel like if I have a decent week I can compete. I am going to play 24-25-26 events and feel like I am going to have a chance to compete each week if I don’t do something silly.”