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As years go, 2007 is no more special than most. It doesn’t mark the end, middle or beginning of a decade, century or millennium. There’s no U.S. presidential election or Olympic Games. But for people like Jeff Purser, tournament director for the Toshiba Classic at The Newport Beach Country Club, this year has been circled for some time. The most star-studded rookie class in the history of the Champions Tour is eligible this year, with World Golf Hall of Fame players Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernard Langer and Nick Price topping the list. Southern California natives Mark O’Meara and John Cook also are eligible, as is former PGA champion Jeff Sluman. “No doubt about it, it’s a great group of guys,” Purser said. “We’ve gone from the days of Jack and Arnie and Gary to a time when we’ve had some great players out there, but this year is special.” Every year, someone with name recognition turns 50 and joins the Champions Tour, such as Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller, Hale Irwin or Ben Crenshaw. Newcomers usually dominate, and last year was no exception, with Loren Roberts and Jay Haas each winning four events. But this year has a little extra buzz. Combined, the new eligible players have won 19 majors, 270 international and PGA Tour titles, and played on 35 Ryder Cup teams. Some of those players will have their 50th birthday after Southern California’s two Champions Tour events are played in March, but Purser is still excited about how his field is shaping up. “We’ll miss a few of them, but we will pick up Price and O’Meara and I think we’ll also have Scott Hoch, who hasn’t played much the past couple of years because of a wrist injury, and Chip Beck, a big name in the ’90s who found his game last year,” Purser said. Regarding the big-name foreign players, Ballesteros hasn’t played competitively in the U.S. since the 2003 Masters and Faldo is in the midst of a successful broadcasting career, so their presence may not be felt much. But Langer and Price remain competitive, as evidenced by Langer’s strong showing in last year’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Champion-ship and Price’s ninth-place finish at the U.S. Open. Cook and O’Meara should also be factors. Cook posted two top-10 finishes in 22 PGA Tour events last year, and O’Meara made the cut in seven of the 18 events he entered. The fact that players enter the Champions Tour with established reputations makes it stand out from nearly every other organized sport. “Every year, we have new players join us who are already known entities with histories,” Purser said. “That’s why we always look forward to the new guys, because even though they add freshness, you also know what you’re getting.” SG |
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