NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. (March 17, 2013) – David Frost capitalized on momentum he maintained since Friday's opening round, to go wire-to-wire and win the 19th Toshiba Classic while tying the low-score tournament record.
Frost, 53 and a 28-time professional winner, fired a 6-under-par 65 today, which remarkably included two bogeys on the front nine before birdieing four of the last five holes on the back. With his 63-66-65-194 victory – 19 under par, Frost ties Jay Haas' record for low tournament score, which was set in 2007. He also matches the record for largest winning margin of five shots, which was set by Hale Irwin in 2002.
“I felt as good as I did the first two days; obviously you never know what's going to happen, Freddy being a crowd favorite and loving the place and loving playing golf in LA,” said Frost after his round. “[This is] something I've worked very hard towards. I've worked very hard on my game the last four, five years, didn't think it would come that easy, just try and play boring golf, hit it in the middle of the greens, especially out here. The first day I got lucky and hit some really close. Today again played for the middle of the greens most of the time and didn't miss any makeable putts, so that put me in a good position to stay out front all the time.”
The South African Frost claims his fourth career victory on the Champions Tour in his 81st start, and wins for the first time since last year's AT&T Championship in San Antonio. It's his fourth appearance in the event, with his previous best a T12 in 2011. Frost is just the sixth international player to win the Toshiba Classic, joining Jose Maria Canizares (2001), Rodger Davis (2003), Bernard Langer (2008), Eduardo Romero (2009) and Nick Price (2011).
Frost came into the final round with a one-shot lead over Couples (64-66-69-199), the 2010 Toshiba Classic champion, and while Couples played steady over his first nine holes, including a birdie on the par-4 seventh, it was no match for Frost, who widened the gap through the back nine as Couples bogeyed 12 and 17.
“I hit a lot of bad wedges. I hit a bad wedge on 6, on 7 really, 16 was not very good, but I was kind of flinching at them,” Couples said. “[Frost] played really, really well. He's very consistent and I knew I was going to need to shoot 66 or 67 to have a chance. I wasn't very close to that.”
For Frost's victory, the $1.75 million Toshiba Classic awarded a $262,500 winner's check. Past champion Jay Haas and Peter Senior tied for third at 11-under-par 202.
Craig Stadler had what may be considered the shot of the day – a hole in one on the 171-yard 13th hole with his 6-iron for only the third ace in the tournament's history. Stadler finished the tournament at 73-68-71-212, in a tie for 44th place. The 2012 Toshiba Classic champion, Loren Roberts, finished at 2-under-par for the event, shooting 69-70-72 – 211 and finishing T39.
The Toshiba Classic's lead charity and operator is Hoag Hospital Foundation, and the 2013 tournament will benefit the Mary and Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag for the third consecutive year. The Toshiba Classic has generated more than $15 million for charity in the last 15 years, the most on the Champions Tour. Hoag Hospital Foundation also received the inaugural PGA Champions Tour Charity of the Year Award in 1998.
About the Toshiba Classic
Hoag Hospital Foundation produces the annual Toshiba Classic and the 2013 tournament benefits the Mary and Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag for the third consecutive year. During the last 15 years, the Toshiba Classic has generated more than $15 million for charity, the most on the Champions Tour. Televised domestically to over 81 million households on the Golf Channel, and an additional 86 million households internationally, the Toshiba Classic provides invaluable exposure for the communities of Orange County. In addition, the tournament generates an estimated $28 million in annual economic impact, benefiting the businesses of Newport Beach and Orange County. For more information, please call 949/660-1001 or log onto ToshibaClassic.com. Follow Toshiba Classic on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toshibaclassic, and on Twitter at @toshibaclassic.
About the Champions Tour
Collectively, the Champions Tour has the most recognizable and accomplished players in the game with many of its 30 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame competing regularly in its events and numerous other major championship winners among its members. The Champions Tour is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it started with just four events and purses totaling $475,000. Points earned in 26 official Charles Schwab Cup events in 2013 will determine the Charles Schwab Cup champion, the season-long competition designed to recognize the Champions Tour's leading player. The Champions Tour's primary purpose is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, protect the integrity of the game and generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays. In 2012, tournaments on all five Tours (PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, PGA TOUR Canada) generated more than $122 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR's all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.8 billion. The Commissioner of the PGA TOUR is Tim Finchem. Mike Stevens is President of the Champions Tour. The PGA TOUR's website is pgatour.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Follow the Champions Tour at Facebook.com/Champions Tour and on Twitter @ChampionsTour.
