Irwin cruised in 2002

Richard Dunn

Heading into last year’s Toshiba Senior Classic at Newport Beach

Country Club, there was mention of playoffs and how close the leaders

always seem to be in the end.

Well, thanks to Hale Irwin, those theories are shot.

Irwin, 57, has dominated Newport Beach with Toshiba titles in 1998

and last year, capturing the 2002 Toshiba Classic with a tournament

scoring record 17-under 196, a victory that elevated him to the top

of the money list on the PGA Champions Tour. He never moved from the

top on his way to a career-first $3-million season.

Last year, Irwin changed almost every club in his bag before

winning the Toshiba Classic for a second time. Before teeing off in

the first round, he switched to forged blade irons, changed from

graphite to steel shafts, added a couple of new fairway woods and a

new sand wedge, then went out and shot 67-64-65 for the finest round

of 54 in Toshiba history.

With a veteran group chasing him on Sunday, Irwin took on all

comers, then disappeared from the rest of the field. He topped the

previous tournament scoring record by three shots (held by George

Archer in the inaugural Toshiba Senior Classic at Mesa Verde Country

Club in 1995).

The prior tournament scoring record at Newport Beach, where the

event has been played since 1996, was held by Irwin at 13-under 200

in 1998, when he shot a course-record 62 in the final round and

received a bonus from the Famous Bunker Rake at 17 to get up and down

for par.

“That birdie at 16 sealed it, and I didn’t need a rake this year

at 17 to help me,” Irwin said.

Down the stretch last year, Irwin nailed a 5-iron at the par-4 16

to within three feet, setting up his sixth of seven birdies on

Sunday.

Irwin’s margin of victory, five strokes, was also a tournament

record, shattering the previous mark of two shots by Jim Colbert in

1996.

Irwin, who won $225,000 for last year’s Toshiba crown, took a

three-shot lead after the second round and was never really

challenged on Sunday.

“If I keep this up, and if I’m not burned out and I pace myself, I

could have another banner year,” Irwin said after winning at Newport

Beach last year, then he went on to claim three other titles and win

his third money title, becoming the first to top $3 million in a

single season.

For Irwin, it was his 34th career senior title three months before

his 57th birthday.

“When someone tells me I can’t, it tends to motivate me,” Irwin

said. “I’m not one that looks back but looks forward, try to create

opportunities for success.”

Irwin and Bob Gilder each won four official events in 2002, the

fewest number of victories to lead the Champions Tour since Jim

Colbert and Bob Murphy each had four wins in ’95.

Irwin, a three-time U.S. Open champion, won last year by larger

margin of victory than the past six Toshiba champions combined. It

was the 12th time in his career that Irwin won the same tournament at

least twice.

Allen Doyle, the 2000 Toshiba Classic champion, finished as

runner-up last year, shooting his 11th straight sub-70 round in as

many starts at Newport Beach. Doyle shot 66-68-67--201 and placed in

the top three here for the fourth straight year.

“The scores I get here are like what I get at my home course (in

La Grange, Ga.),” Doyle said. “Shooting (201) wasn’t good enough for

this year, but second ain’t bad. I did as good as I can do. I’ve had

a second, first, third and second here. This tournament has been good

to me. Maybe we should set up a Doyle annuity.”

Tying for third at 11-under 202 last year was Dave Stockton, who

made the biggest run at Irwin, and Monday open qualifier Michael

Zinni.

“When I got here, I was the eighth alternate to get into the open

Monday qualifier (at Goose Creek in Mira Loma),” said Zinni, who

earned a career-best $99,000 paycheck for his finish, the highest by

an open Monday qualifier on the tour in three years. “I’ll take it,”

said Zinni, who in 10 previous senior tour starts totaled winnings of

$41,716.

The veteran Stockton, who tied for a season-best fourth place at

the 2001 Toshiba Classic, played with a heavy heart last year, after

learning of the death of a good friend and former USC golf teammate

-- Larry Carr of Bakersfield.

“I was surprised nobody else really made a move,” Stockton said

after the final round, in which he shot 5-under 66.