Ryder Cup

One of the more unique team golf competitions is the biennial Seaver Cup Matches and Corona del Mar resident Boyd Martin was fortunate enough to participate in this year’s competition, which was held, Nov. 18-19. The event was born in 1997 out of discussions with the board of directors from the California Golf Assn., Northern California Golf Assn. and the Southern California Golf Assn. The boards decided to conduct a biennial series of matches starting in 1998 between teams from the SCGA and NCGA.

There have been some classic speakers in past years, like Gary Player, Tom Watson and Gary McCord, but "Gentle Ben" could be the best ever. As officials gear up for the ninth annual Toshiba Senior Classic March 17-23 at Newport Beach Country Club, there's a must-see event on the agenda -- and that's two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, who will be this year's keynote speaker at the Toshiba Senior Classic Community Breakfast presented by Deloitte & Touche.

Richard Dunn NEWPORT COAST - Two matches extended the live telecast more than an hour while the Golden Bear roared as pre-tournament billing turned out to be true: It was a three-ring circus. On Saturday, opening-round action in the Hyundai Team Matches at Pelican Hill Golf Club fell 30 minutes short of scheduled airtime (1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on ABC) and producers scrambled to fill the gap with last year's highlights, among other things. But Sunday were matches made in golf heaven.

The Champions Tour provides an opportunity for golfers to continue their playing careers past what athletes in football or basketball could dream. The tour, for golfers 50 and over, carries with it a collection of golfing greats who possibly have competed on, among others, the PGA, Nationwide, Asian, European and Nationwide tours at a time in their careers. Players today are faced with decisions about which tournaments and tours to play when they map out the upcoming year’s schedule.

Tom Watson, Corey Pavin, John Cook and Mark O'Meara have committed to compete in the 2011 Toshiba Classic, scheduled March 7 through 13 at Newport Beach Country Club. Watson, Pavin and Cook posted their best Toshiba Classic finishes in 2010, all placing in the top seven. Watson fired the best round of the 2010 Classic with a final-round 62 that enabled him to jump 24 spots on the leaderboard and tie for fifth place. Pavin, a Classic rookie in 2010, and Cook tied for seventh. O'Meara, who spent his formative years in golf as a teen in Mission Viejo, finished runner-up at the 2009 Toshiba Classic.

Hale Irwin is known as the only two-time champion of the Toshiba Classic. During the week of the 18th Toshiba Classic, he'll be known as keynote speaker at the annual Breakfast with a Champion, presented by the Allergan Foundation on March 13. The annual event, one of the highlights during the tournament, begins at 7 a.m. at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa. Tickets are $120 per seat. Tables are also available; contact the Toshiba Classic at (949) 660-1001 for more information.

Richard Dunn As advertised, former major championship winners Ben Crenshaw and Fuzzy Zoeller -- the two most anticipated rookies on the 2002 Senior PGA Tour -- have officially committed to play in the eighth annual Toshiba Senior Classic. Zoeller, one of golf's most engaging personalities, should find immediate success on the Senior Tour if history repeats itself. A gallery favorite, Zoeller won his Masters title in 1979 as a rookie on the PGA Tour and during his first visit to the hallowed grounds at Augusta National.

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since we celebrated the fighting men of this country and especially the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines of Camp Pendleton at an inaugural golf tournament for them at the Newport Beach Country Club. And the good thing is that year No. 2 is here, and things are getting underway for another successful event. Danny Marcheano, the renowned owner of the Arches restaurants and a former Marine, is organizing the tournament again this year.