Bryant continues to cherish win

NEWPORT BEACH — Two years ago, when Brad Bryant was a rookie on the PGA Champions Tour, the veterans told him, don’t miss the Toshiba Classic.

They also said it would be a highlight of the tour.

“I didn’t realize it was going to be the highlight for me,” Bryant said, while addressing the media at Newport Beach Country Club Tuesday.

The results of a breakout performance, which led to a breakout year, were still being cherished by Bryant Tuesday. He reminisced of 2006, while being a representative for the Toshiba Classic, which will be March 5-11 at NBCC.

“As for last year, there is absolutely no question in my mind that the Toshiba [Classic] was really the diving board that sprung me through the year,” Bryant said. “Something happened on those last eight holes. I made five birdies on those last eight holes and it was like my world changed.”

Bryant did in fact birdie five of the final eight holes here, including the 18th to win last year’s Toshiba Classic and $247,500.

He later went on to win the Regions Charity Classic, and also earned three runner-up finishes en route to finishing third on the money list with nearly $1.7 million.

With the runner-up finishes, there is a part of him that feels regret, but he remains content.

“Last year could have been a little bit better,” Bryant said. “However, when you make a million, seven, don’t complain. It was a great year. For me it was a banner year.”

Bryant is hoping for some déjà vu. But he will have a hard time defending his crown. There have been no repeat winners at the Toshiba Classic at NBCC, where pros say the course is deceiving.

Some of the Tour’s big names will try to solve it. They include Hale Irwin, Mark O’Meara, 2006 Champions Tour Player of the Year Jay Haas and Tom Kite. The tournament has a $1.65 million purse with the winner taking home $247,500.

While Bryant expressed his gratitude toward the Toshiba Classic with a down-to-earth feel, he also stressed the sense of community he experiences while playing at NBCC every March.

“As a touring professional, we play a lot of tournaments where it’s really about the corporate interest or the golf course, or the resort,” Bryant said. “When you come to this tournament, it’s really about the community. That makes the flavor of this tournament really fun … It’s almost like coming to be a big part of a big family. You really feel that it’s something that is put on by the whole town.”

This year’s Toshiba Classic will include a women’s golf seminar and clinic on March 9, 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the NBCC clubhouse. It’s designed to educate women on the game with an introduction to technique, rules, etiquette, equipment and fashion.

The cost is $195 per person and more information can be found at www.toshibaclassic.com.

On March 10, there will be a junior clinic, open free to the public at 4:30 p.m. at the NBCC driving range. The clinic is geared for players age 5-12. Also, children 12-and-under will have free admission for all days of the Toshiba Classic.

Bryant said he plans to be a part of the junior clinic. He won’t be looking to create any highlights there. He’s saving it for the course, trying to become the Toshiba Classic’s first repeat champion.