Wet weekend in store for Toshiba

Andrew Edwards

Rain may fall over Newport-Mesa today and Saturday, but it will take

a heavy storm to stop play at the Toshiba Senior Classic, a PGA

official said.

“Our policies are we play golf until the course becomes unplayable

or unsafe,” PGA Champions Tour official Skip Whittet said. “It takes

a lot of rain to make a golf course unplayable, especially on the

West Coast.”

Rain could begin Friday morning or afternoon, and last through

Saturday, National Weather Service forecaster Noel Isla said.

“We’re expecting between 1/2 to 1 and 1/2 inches of rain,” he

said.

If forecasters are correct, 2005 would not be the first year rain

affected the Newport Beach tournament. In 2000, rain and blustery

winds led to the cancellation of the event’s final round. Allen Doyle

was declared the champion that year after golfers completed only 36

of 54 holes.

In 2001, the threat of rain hovered over the tournament’s final

round, and tournament director Jeff Purser refused to move up tee

times to avoid rain. The strategy worked, and the event stayed dry.