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A busy day for Knapp

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You could say Jake Knapp had an eventful day Tuesday.

The Estancia High senior competed in the Toshiba Classic Par-3 Challenge at Newport Beach Country Club in the morning and then against rival Costa Mesa at Costa Mesa Country Club in the afternoon. Knapp, bound for UCLA, was all about winning, as he was a part of victories at both events.

It was also fun for him to be matched up with a pro during the Par-3 Challenge, he said.

Knapp, and Beckman’s Kaitlin Park won along with Stan Utley, a pro who qualified for the Toshiba Classic on Monday.

“He is a prestigious teaching pro in Arizona,” Knapp said. “He’s a great guy. I was really fortunate that I got paired with him.”

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Knapp, who received two one-day passes for the tournament, plans to attend the Toshiba Classic on Sunday and root for Utley.

Utley cheered for Knapp on Tuesday morning. The threesomes played four par-three holes at NBCC. Utley’s group tied with Dana Quigley’s team, so they had to decided the winner on a chip-off. They chipped from behind a bunker on No. 18, about 40 feet from the hole, Knapp said. Knapp had the best chip, as he got it within four feet.

Knapp qualified for the Par-3 Challenge on Saturday after he was among the three best males who played on Nos. 4 and 13. Newport Harbor’s Carter Norris and Costa Mesa’s Nelson Negrillo also competed on Saturday.

Later Tuesday, Knapp finished as the medalist against the Mustangs after he shot three-under-par 32.

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Hale Irwin, the only two-time winner at the Toshiba Classic, had a strong influence for the tournament being in Newport Beach.

During Tuesday’s Breakfast with a Champion, Toshiba Classic emeritus chair Hank Adler revealed Irwin helped convince him to keep the Toshiba Classic in Newport Beach in 1998. Adler said he told Irwin, it would be great to later hand him the champion’s trophy.

Irwin won the Toshiba Classic in 1998. He also won it in 2002.

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In addition to Utley, Greg Buckner, Ben Bates, Lonnie Nielsen and Tom Byrum also qualified on Monday to play in the Toshiba Classic.

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There is a chance of rain this weekend at the Toshiba Classic. There is a 60% chance of rain on Saturday for the second round, in Newport Beach, according to weather.com. On Sunday, the final round of the tournament, there is a 70% chance of rain.

The only time the Toshiba Classic has been canceled due to rain was in 2000 when Allen Doyle was declared champ after two rounds.

steve.virgen@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveVirgen

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