THE LAST WORD:

The golf gods smiled on Newport Beach this week as the Toshiba Classic commenced for the 13th year amid perfect weather and near-perfect course conditions.

Toshiba officials were blessed with a deep field of professional golfers, many of them household names like Jay Haas, Gary Player, Craig Stadler, Loren Roberts and Lee Trevino.

And we must mention the great stories like Tim Simpson, who overcame major health problems to lead day one, and Mark Johnson, who drove a beer truck for 18 years before living out his dream on the golf course.

Many of the PGA professionals who take part in the Champions Tour, say Newport Beach Country Club is one of their favorite stops.

So, add in the weeklong festivities like the Shot from the Top, the Champions Breakfast and three separate Pro/Am events and you have a buzz of excitement that culminates in today’s final round of action.

While today’s professional play promises to be thrilling as usual, the event means so much more to Newport-Mesa than that.

Another million dollars is expected to be tossed into the kitty, marking $11 million in the 11 years the tournament has been run in conjunction with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, the main beneficiary of the tournament’s largesse.

So no matter how many birdies are made today, no matter how many 300-yard drives, the community, the volunteers and all who make this event possible get to turn in the week’s most impressive score card.