Championing good spirit, worthy causes

Much like the Toshiba Classic, the annual Breakfast with a Champion, the morning kickoff to the week of events associated with this professional golf tournament, is becoming a must-see tradition.

At least that’s what I kept saying as I dragged my groggy self out of bed before dawn to make it to the 7 a.m. Tuesday breakfast.

The early morning event, attended by about 450 folks at the newly redone Newport Marriott, gives avid golfers a chance to see some of their favorite professionals up close and personal ? this year it was golf veteran Peter Jacobsen.

It also doubles as a venue to award 12 area high school students from Newport-Mesa, Irvine, Huntington Beach Union and Saddleback Valley school districts with $1,000 scholarships and a notebook computer care of Toshiba.

One of the awardees, this year, I must point out, is Daily Pilot Reel Critics movie reviewer Sara Salam of Corona del Mar High School.

Mark Simons, the vice president and general manager of Toshiba America Digital Products Division, noted that the tech company has given away $137,000 and 75 computers to students over the last few years.

“Without Toshiba, we just simply wouldn’t be here,” said tournament director Jeff Purser, noting that the golfing event has netted some $7.8 million for Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian and affiliated charities since its inception.

That of course is the goal of the Toshiba Classic. Amid all the pro and pro-am golf taking place, the real goal this week is to bring in money for Hoag, usually to the tune of $1 million a year.

If tournament chairman Hank Adler said it once, he’s said it a thousand times ? there are three rules for running the Toshiba Classic:

1. Make money for Hoag Hospital

2. Make money for Hoag Hospital

3. Ditto

This week marked the fifth time I have covered this event as a roving reporter. And I have a confession to make. Most of the time, the golf lingo spoken here sailed over my head like a Tiger Woods drive.

But for the last year, I have been learning how to play this gentlemen’s game, me being no gentlemen of course, and things definitely make more sense now, even at 7 a.m.

Over these five years of covering the tourney, I, along with the other breakfast attendees, have been treated to golfing tales by the likes of the game’s liveliest characters and legends, such as Fuzzy Zoeller, Gary McCord, David Feherty, Chi Chi Rodriguez and Ben Crenshaw.

Now, add Jacobsen to the list.

Jacobsen, who answered questions posed by Daily Pilot Publisher, and my boss, Tom Johnson, regaled the crowd with his own golf stories, many that featured the late actor Jack Lemmon as his frequent pro-am partner.

One particularly funny yarn he told in his gravel-voiced style had Lemmon dressed in a peach-colored suit on a soggy day at Pebble Beach. Lemmon was particularly proud of his natty attire, Jacobsen said, until one bad swing of his 9-iron left him splattered in mud.

That was one of many stories Jacobsen told of Lemmon. And Clint Eastwood. And golf legend Arnold Palmer, whom Jacobsen admires greatly and considers a good friend.

“Being with him and being among his inner circle is so special to me,” he said of Palmer.

Jacobsen is a seven-time PGA tour champ, and he’s won two Champions Tour titles. In his spare time, he runs a company that designs golf courses, something he said he envisioned doing way back when he was in fifth grade.

“I have met people and have had experiences in the game of golf that have filled my life,” he said.

But despite all of his success as a professional and as a golf course designer, he assured the crowd that some of his favorite moments are playing with the everyday folk at pro-am events.

“The one thing about the game of golf is the humanity of it,” he said.

Prior to Jacobsen taking the stage, the crowd was treated to a quick pep talk by entertainer and author Tom Sullivan.

Sullivan, who was born blind, told how his physical disability has not stopped him from playing golf or reaching other challenging goals that even those with eyesight wouldn’t dare to attempt.

“I spent most of my life looking for my own ticket out of the darkness,” he said.

So with that, I’ll be out at Toshiba this week to catch some of the professionals at work and maybe learn a few more things about being a gentleman.

Hope to see you out there.