NEWPORT BEACH – The Toshiba Classic, the crown jewel of the 50-and-over PGA Champions Tour, will not be contested in 2017 because of a scheduling change that is moving the tournament back to its original spot on the calendar in March.
That doesn’t bother Jay Haas, who won the 2016 Toshiba event in October at Newport Beach Country Club.
“I’ll be one of the longest defending champions ever,” Haas said jokingly during an appearance Monday at NBCC, where he was inducted in the Toshiba Classic Hall of Fame and conducted an instructional clinic for tournament sponsors and officials. “It’s kind of nice to be defending champion for 17 months.”
Haas also will become the oldest defending champion in Champions history next year because he’ll be 64 when the 2018 Toshiba is played March 9-11. In October, he became the second-oldest to win any Champions Tour event – at 62 years, 10 months – and only the fourth in history to win multiple tour titles after age 60.
Hale Irwin won three times after age 60; Tom Watson, Jimmy Powell and now Haas have won twice as sexagenerians. The only Champions winner older than Haas was Mike Fetchick, who won the 1985 Hilton Head Senior Invitational on his 63rd birthday.
“I’ve always said the ball doesn’t know how old you are or what your name is,” Haas said, smiling. “A good shot is a good shot, no matter who hits it. And hopefully I can fool ’em a little longer.”
The 2018 event will be the 23rd in Toshiba Classic history. Born in 1995 as the Toshiba Senior Classic and played at Mesa Verde Country Club in Costa Mesa, the tournament was moved the next year to Newport Beach CC, where it is now the longest-running venue on tour with the longest-running title sponsorship. It was a March event until 2015 and, after two tournaments in October, is returning to its early spring roots.
“These are the dates that are ‘home’ to us; this is where it is most beneficial for our tournament,” said Jeff Purser, the Toshiba Classic’s longtime executive director.
“It doesn’t matter to me when it’s played,” said Haas, a two-time Toshiba champion. “It’s 70 degrees in March and 70 degrees in October. This is my favorite place on tour. I love it here.”