High risk, charity’s reward

NEWPORT BEACH ? Gary McCord, who’s been known to crack wise at times, brought his arsenal on Tuesday.

Sizing up his shot from the top of the Newport Beach Marriott, the PGA Champions Tour veteran asked if he’d be better off throwing the ball toward the Newport Beach Country Club’s second green. Then he whipped out the rangefinder from his bag and tried to measure the distance, talking about terminal velocity and barometric pressure.

But when all the talking was done, all he needed was a swing of the club.

McCord won the second Toshiba Classic “Shot from the Top,” knocking his second attempt to within nine feet, two inches of the pin. The winning shot earned The Unforgettables, McCord’s chosen charity, a check for $2,000 from the Marriott Corporation.

Peter Jacobsen took second, followed by Dave Stockton, Fuzzy Zoeller and defending Toshiba Classic champion Mark Johnson. Each won $1,000 for their charities.

“It’s always fun,” said McCord, who won the Toshiba Classic in 1999. “You toss it up in the air and see what happens. It’s like the last hole in miniature golf, except the view is much more stunning.”

Indeed, the view from the roof was breathtaking ? whether it was of the largely cloudless Newport-Mesa skyline, or the 16-story drop to the ground below.

After a few light-hearted quips about keeping balance on the tee platform ? and McCord’s unsuccessful attempt to gauge the distance with his rangefinder ? the players took their best shots at the green from 118 yards away and 162 feet up.

Jacobsen set the bar high, hitting his third shot to within 11 feet. Stockton nearly matched it, getting his first attempt to 13 feet, 7 inches.

Zoeller, who won last year’s event by hitting to within 4 feet, 2 inches, was nowhere close on his first two shots, resulting in some good-natured ribbing. He recovered enough to hit one to 20 feet, 4 inches.

“Every shot makes someone happy,” Zoeller shrugged afterward.

McCord, who talked about consulting a “Stanford rocket scientist” to prepare for the event ? followed and showed no fear in nursing his second shot to what would be the winning spot.

“The view is always good on the edge, baby,” McCord said. “The heart’s pounding, you’re wondering where you’re going and you’re thinking about jumping, just for a second.”

Johnson had the last chance to outdo McCord, borrowed a sand wedge from Stockton, then used his own gap wedge, but was unable to get any closer than 21 feet, 3 inches.

“You know, I had no idea what to expect,” Johnson said. “I know they were saying it played about 85 yards, and there’s a little breeze into it, so I didn’t know what to hit.”

Stockton and Jacobsen were the only players to put all three of their shots on the green.

Afterward, the players provided color commentary for a group of amateurs who took their hacks at the second green.

The good-natured event capped off a busy morning for Jacobsen, who got up early for the Breakfast with a Champion at the Marriott.

“This is fun,” Jacobsen said. “It’s a great morning. You don’t prepare for this. You get up, you make a swing and you hope the ball goes close to the hole.”

McCord, Stockton and Johnson chose to give their winnings to The Unforgettables, a Southern California nonprofit organization that helps low-income families pay for funeral expenses when their children die and holds CPR classes for families. Stockton recently organized a benefit tournament for the charity, which McCord and Johnson participated in.

Jacobsen’s check went toward the Jeld-Wen Tradition Foundation, a nonprofit group tied to the Champions Tour event he organizes in Portland, Ore. Zoeller’s winnings went to Fuzzy’s Kids, Zoeller’s own charitable organization.

Although fun was a big component of Tuesday morning’s action, all five participants said the opportunity to help out their chosen charities was a major plus.

“I’ve been doing Dave’s Unforgettables tournament, I think we’ve been doing it for six years now,” McCord said. “When you can see it, feel it, touch it and you know where the money’s going and you know how much he puts into it.

“A lot of these guys run charitable tournaments, so we all try to go to as many as possible and take part.”DON LEACH / DAILY PILOTDave Stockton takes aim with his first attempt in the “Shot from the Top” contest Tuesday morning at the Newport Beach Marriott.dpt.15-sports-toshiba-3-CPhotoInfoQP1OUU8T20060315iw5cqcknDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Gary McCord, left, high-fives Fuzzy Zoeller after hitting the winning attempt in the “Shot from the Top” contest Tuesday morning at the Newport Beach Marriott. McCord hit a ball from the roof of the Marriott to within nine feet, two inches of the pin on Newport Beach Country Club’s second hole. dpt.10-toshiba-logo-CPhotoInfoQP1OV07V20060315iuebthnc(LA)dpt.15-sports-toshiba-1-CPhotoInfoQP1OUU9220060315iw5crjknDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Gary McCord, left, high-fives Fuzzy Zoeller after hitting the winning attempt in the “Shot from the Top” contest Tuesday morning at the Newport Beach Marriott. McCord hit a ball from the roof of the Marriott to within nine feet, two inches of the pin on Newport Beach Country Club’s second hole.