News & Updates
Steve Elkington to Keynote Annual Breakfast
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. (February 20, 2013)-Steve Elkington, Toshiba Classic rookie and 17-time professional winner, will keynote the annual Toshiba Classic Breakfast with a Champion presented by The Allergan Foundation on March 12, when Elkington will share stories and anecdotes from nearly 30 years on the professional golf circuit.
The event, which begins at 7 a.m. at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa, has become a nostalgic staple in Toshiba Classic week - considered among the most memorable tournaments on Tour by players and spectators alike. The intimate breakfast serves as a ground to award two top Orange County students with a $10,000 scholarship from the Toshiba Classic Scholarship Fund, one of the Classic's charitable arms comprised of Hoag Hospital Foundation and Toshiba America, Inc.
"Fostering the growth of Orange County's community is something The Allergan Foundation is quite proud to be associated with, and we value the relationships we've built with the Hoag Hospital Foundation and Toshiba to make this Breakfast of Champions happen," said Jim Hindman, president of The Allergan Foundation. "Not only is it a remarkable event to learn about golf's great athletes, but also an opportunity to give back to the area of which we're so fortunate to be a part."
Australia native Elkington, 50, joined the professional ranks in 1985 before debuting on the PGA TOUR five years later. He amassed 17 professional wins, including 10 on the PGA TOUR - all in the 1990s. He was a member of the President's Cup International Team in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000, and secured his only major win in 2005 - the PGA Championship, the same year the PGA of America awarded him the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average.
Golf legends including Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Fuzzy Zoeller and Chi Chi Rodriguez are all past guests of the breakfast, whose tickets sell for $120 per seat (sold only in pairs). Tables are also available; contact the Toshiba Classic at 949-660-1001 to purchase.
The Toshiba Classic has set the standard for competitive play and charitable giving on the Champions Tour, regularly featuring among the tour's largest galleries thanks to Newport Beach's classic course, postcard weather and strong annual field of players. San Luis Obispo native Loren Roberts, 57, won the 2012 Toshiba Classic by two strokes, by punctuating a 10-foot putt on 18 with a fist pump to secure his 13th Champions Tour victory.
The $1.75 million Toshiba Classic will award a $262,500 winner's check to the 2013 champion and is televised on Golf Channel on Friday, March 15 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. PT, Saturday, March 16 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. PT, and Sunday, March 17, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. PT.
The Toshiba Classic's lead charity and operator is Hoag Hospital Foundation, and the 2013 tournament will benefit the Mary and Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag for the third consecutive year. The Toshiba Classic has generated more than $15 million for charity in the last 15 years, the most on the Champions Tour. Hoag Hospital Foundation also received the inaugural PGA Champions Tour Charity of the Year Award in 1998.
Tickets for the Toshiba Classic are on sale now, and run $20 if purchased in advance of tournament week or $25 at the gate. Season patron badges cost $100, which provide week-long grounds and clubhouse admission for practice rounds and the tournament. Daily tickets providing grounds and the clubhouse are $40 per day. Visit www.toshibaclassic.com to purchase, or call 949-660-1001 to secure corporate packages.
About the Toshiba Classic
Hoag Hospital Foundation produces the annual Toshiba Classic and the 2013 tournament will benefit the Mary and Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag for the second consecutive year. During the last 15 years, the Toshiba Classic has generated more than $15 million for charity, the most on the Champions Tour. Televised domestically to over 81 million households on the Golf Channel, and an additional 86 million households internationally, the Toshiba Classic provides invaluable exposure for the communities of Orange County. In addition, the tournament generates an estimated $28 million in annual economic impact, benefiting the businesses of Newport Beach and Orange County. For more information, please call 949/660-1001 or log onto ToshibaClassic.com. Follow Toshiba Classic on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toshibaclassic, and on Twitter at @toshibaclassic.
About the Champions Tour
Collectively, the Champions Tour has the most recognizable and accomplished players in the game with many of its 30 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame competing regularly in its events and numerous other major championship winners among its members. The Champions Tour is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it started with just four events and purses totaling $475,000. Points earned in 26 official Charles Schwab Cup events in 2013 will determine the Charles Schwab Cup champion, the season-long competition designed to recognize the Champions Tour's leading player. The Champions Tour's primary purpose is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, protect the integrity of the game and generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays. In 2012, tournaments on all five Tours (PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, PGA TOUR Canada) generated more than $122 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR's all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.8 billion. The Commissioner of the PGA TOUR is Tim Finchem. Mike Stevens is President of the Champions Tour. The PGA TOUR's website is pgatour.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Follow the Champions Tour at Facebook.com/Champions Tour and on Twitter @ChampionsTour.
-###-
