GOLF:

Not that another example was needed but I will provide it anyway as to why the Toshiba Classic is one of the best Champions Tour events.

Today begins one of the best events not only in golf, but in sports. It’s the Masters, which will have nine players in the field that also played in this year’s Toshiba Classic.

Ben Crenshaw, Mark O’Meara, Gary Player, Craig Stadler, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Tom Watson, Ian Woosnam and Fuzzy Zoeller are all playing in the first men’s major championship of the year and all of them are former champions.

Will one of them win the event this year? It is unlikely, but Champions Tour players are representing much better than when the combined scores of Billy Casper, Gay Brewer and Doug Ford nearly matched the national debt number with their two rounds of golf.

Not that these seniors fared much better. Of the nine only Lyle and Woosnam made the cut and with several of them the goal is probably not to contend, but to just stick around and play on the weekend.

Player, who at age 73 is a medical marvel, has decided this is his last Masters. He has played in 52 of them, more than any other golfer, but realized the time was now to say goodbye to Augusta National.

“I’m exercising profusely, but it’s very difficult at 73 to build strength,” Player said. “The golf course is so long. It is just so long. I mean, I’m hitting a wood to almost every single hole.”

Player won this event three times and has watched his game decline here in recent years.

“I’ve managed to break 80 the last two years, but it’s getting to a stage now where I don’t know whether I can do that out here,” Player said. “It’s so long and I’m getting weaker.”

Player talked about a round he shot two years ago when he shot 77 and it impressed fellow South African player, Ernie Els.

“He said, ‘You know, Gary, one of the greatest rounds you ever shot at Augusta?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, when I came back at 30 to win the tournament,’ ” Player recounted. “He said, ‘No, when you shot the 77 a couple of years ago and the greens were hard, and you tied something like 22 guys and beat 25 guys I think that’s one of your best rounds.’ ”

It is difficult for professionals who were at the top of their game to watch their skills decline. Fuzzy Zoeller recognized this and also announced this would be the last Masters he would play. Last year Zoeller shot 81-79 and finished just above Player and missed the cut.

Tommy Aaron is the oldest player to make the cut, playing four rounds in 2000 at age 63.

Is it possible for a player over 50 to contend at the Masters. Jack Nicklaus did it. In 1990, finishing sixth at the age of 50 and eight years later, tying for sixth.

One player who will try and contend is Greg Norman. Not a regular member of the Champions Tour, the 54-year old tied for third at the British Open and many are expecting a similar performance at this year’s Masters.

But with the course length at 7,435 yards it is a challenge for most players over 50 and that is why I would be surprised this year if any of the nine who played at Toshiba made the cut.

It is too bad, because the game needs players like Watson and Langer around on the weekend.

It makes the tournament that much more special.

JOHN REGER’S golf column appears Thursdays. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by regular mail at P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 907040.