Tickets on sale for 20th Toshiba Classic

Tickets are now on sale for the Toshiba Classic, which turns 20 this year.

The 20th Toshiba Classic tees off March 10 through 16 at Newport Beach Country Club.

A new 20th Toshiba Classic logo has been unveiled to commemorate 20 years as a leading stop on the Champions Tour and its charitable commitment to the Orange County community.

The popular golf tournament has produced several memorable moments. It has also been one of the favorite events on the Champions Tour, as the players and spectators enjoy the area. In addition, the Toshiba Classic generates more than $1 million for charity each year, which leads the Champions Tour.

“We are so proud to be entering two decades of great Champions Tour golf in 2014, and look forward to welcoming another field of players – both veterans and newcomers – to the tournament in March,” said Jeff Purser, executive director of the 20th Toshiba Classic. “Our 20th anniversary promises to be a special one for participants and spectators that attend, all with the end goal of showcasing great golf and benefiting the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag for the fourth consecutive year.”

Daily grounds tickets to the 20th Toshiba Classic run $20 if purchased in advance of tournament week, or $25 at the gate. Season patron badges cost $100, which provides week-long access to the grounds and Friday-Sunday clubhouse access during the official Tournament rounds.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.toshibaclassic.com.

In addition to individual ticket options, there are several corporate package and VIP opportunities available, which may be purchased by calling the Toshiba Classic Tournament Office at (949) 660-1001.

Tee times for the 2014 Toshiba Classic bump back an hour from past years, and will be begin at 11:30 a.m. on Friday-Sunday with a finishing time of 6:00 p.m. Gates to the tournament will open at 9 a.m. each morning.

South African David Frost won the 2013 Toshiba Classic, going wire-to-wire in the 54-hole event while tying the low-score tournament record at 63-66-65—194, 19 under par. The 30-time professional winner, just the sixth international player to win the Toshiba Classic, topped Masters champion and 2010 Toshiba Classic victor Fred Couples by one shot en route to his fourth Champions Tour victory.

The $1.75 million Toshiba Classic will award a $262,500 winner’s check to the 2014 champion and is televised live on Golf Channel on March 14 from 3:30-6 p.m. PT, March 15 from 4-6 p.m. PT, and March 16 from 4-6 p.m. PT.

The Toshiba Classic’s lead charity and operator is Hoag Hospital Foundation, and the 2014 tournament will benefit the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag for the fourth consecutive year. Hoag Hospital Foundation also received the inaugural PGA Champions Tour Charity of the Year Award in 1998.

— From staff reports