McCord memories

BRYCE ALDERTON

This year’s Toshiba Senior Classic Champions Breakfast on Tuesday

morning of tournament week will bring back memories for at least one

Newport Beach Country Club member.

Gary McCord, the 1999 Toshiba Senior Classic champion and current

golf analyst for CBS, and colleague David Feherty, will undoubtedly

delight the crowd gathered March 15 at the Balboa Bay Club with their

witty humor and wisecracks.

Three days later during Friday’s first round, McCord will stroll

up the ninth fairway at Newport Beach Country Club and come within

shouting distance of a childhood friend and teammate.

There’s a good chance Newport Beach Country Club member Alex

Jianas, 56, will stroll out onto his balcony and catch a glimpse of

his former battery mate.

“I don’t know if we’ll have a [banner] on the railing with

McCord’s name written, but it will give me a chance to see him. I’m

looking forward to that,” said Jianas, who lives in the homes dotting

the left side of the ninth fairway.

The two grew up playing baseball together in Elks Park Little

League in Garden Grove.

Jianas strapped on the chest protector and shin guards as a

catcher and McCord took the mound.

One year, when they were about 11, as Jianas recalled, they were

teammates on a majors division team during the regular season and

later an all-star squad.

Jianas caught four years in majors, from age 8 to 12, and made

all-star teams with McCord and Ray Carrasco, senior tour professional

at Oak Creek and Pelican Hill golf clubs.

“We were great friends as young boys,” Jianas said of he and

McCord.

They eventually went their separate ways and Jianas said they’ve

only seen each other two or three times since their youth baseball

days.

One of those times came in 2000, when McCord spoke at what was

then called the “Community Breakfast” during Toshiba week.

“We had name tags on and [McCord] comes up and asks, ‘Jianas, is

that you?’ I hadn’t seen you in 36 years,” Jianas said. “I had a

dream to play in a pro-am and have Gary critique my swing. But he

doesn’t do that many pro-ams and I don’t have that much money.”

McCord splits his time on the Champions Tour, where he’s won

twice, with his announcing duties at CBS.

Jianas said he would strongly consider attending this year’s

breakfast, presented by Allergan, when I gave him some specifics.

“If I saw him, he would recognize me right away,” Jianas said.

The two attended different high schools -- Jianas went to Santiago

and McCord to Garden Grove. McCord, who became a two-time

All-American for UC Riverside’s men’s golf team, said he focused more

on golf when he turned 15 after suffering arm trouble.

Jianas caught one season at Santa Ana College before entering the

navy in 1968, when he played his first 18-hole round in Subic Bay,

Philippines.

When he returned from the service less than a year later, Jianas,

a retired business owner and physical education teacher, began honing

his golf game at Willowick Golf Course in Santa Ana.

He joined Newport Beach Country Club nearly six months ago and won

his flight of a senior event at the club in a card-off. In December,

he teamed with close friend Steve Kissen -- the two used to own a

cigar shop -- and Ken Wasserman to claim the member title of the

senior-junior pro am at Newport Beach Country Club.

Jianas, whose son Randy Dodge coaches the Vanguard University

men’s soccer team, hasn’t used any woods in five years, relying on

the 3-iron as his “driver.”

Jianas found himself pulling tee shots, which occasionally pelted

condos or houses bordering the holes, such as the ninth hole at

Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point.

“[Wife Diana] turns and says, ‘You better learn how to play or

throw those woods away,’” Jianas said. “If I play Newport with a

rescue club or a 5-wood, I could hit my second shot [on the green] on

15 or 18 [both par 5s]. But I have to bust a 3-iron up the hills. I

had a 100 woods, but I wasn’t comfortable. The risk isn’t worth the

reward. If I can throw darts out there, one putt and make 4, that is

better than hitting the ball 270 yards and then taking five [strokes]

to get down.”

Jianas’ best round since he turned strictly to irons is a 3-over

74 at Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine. He shot 35 on the back

nine with a double bogey.

He said friends constantly rag on him for using only irons, but

hey, if it works, why go back?

Jianas won his flight in the senior tournament.

Now he will pull for his former teammate on the same course.