FAIR GAME:Great events on the way

People around town are certainly familiar with the Toshiba Classic. This year's golf tournament, won by Jay Haas, once again earned $1 million plus for Hoag Hospital and other local charities.

That, in turn, pushed the overall money earned in the last 10 years for charity to more than $10 million.

Pretty impressive!

However, life wasn't always so good for the Toshiba Classic. In the first couple of years the tournament struggled.

Very little, if any, money found its way to local charities and many promises seemed to be made and not kept. It wasn't until two magical moves were made that the event changed course, No. 1, partnering with Hoag Hospital and, No. 2, bringing in Jeff Purser as the tournament director to run the whole thing.

Today, the Toshiba Classic is arguably the best run tournament on the Champions Tour and with no question about it the most successful financially.

Trust me, I've seen it from the inside and it's first class all the way.

Fast forward to 2007. Purser and local orthopedic surgeon Dr. Allen Beyer come up with this hair-brained scheme to try and do something similar with the Newport Beach Breakers.

So they meet with World Team Tennis founder Billie Jean King and league commissioner Ilana Kloss and get a deal done.

Hoag Hospital, Purser and Beyer are now in the tennis business.

So get this.

They will be constructing a 2,200-person capacity venue in the parking lot of Newport Beach Country Club.

Exhibit booths, bars, dining; service to your seat or the private sky boxes; or just enjoy the Ocean Deck looking down on the whole venue.

And every child attending between the ages of 4-16 gets a free tennis racket, compliments of WTT presenting sponsor Advanta.

The season runs through the month of July.

Now I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of tennis. But when I sat down and listened to Purser talk earlier this week about his plans, I quickly became interested.

The season kicks off at home on July 6 with the Sacramento Capitals and Anna Kournikova visiting.

Yup, that Anna Kournikova!

Following home matches include Pete Sampras, who will play for the Breakers; Venus Williams and her Philadelphia Freedoms; and the Breakers own Maria Sharapova going up against the New York Sportimes, led by none other than John McEnroe.

But Purser has other ideas up his sleeve.

On July 16, when the Breakers play the Kansas City Explorers, it'll be Tracy Austin night.