Champions Tour: Live from the Toshiba Classic, Team UCLA wins skills challenge

Representatives from UCLA and USC participated in a Skills Challenge as part of the Toshiba Classic.  Team USC included 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart and former NBA star Paul Westphal as well as pro golfer Fuzzy Zoeller.  Team UCLA included Hall of Fame College Football coach Terry Donahue and retired NFL Wide Receiver Drew Bennett as well as pro golfer Corey Pavin.

The participants played for a $50,000 donation to Hoag Hospital’s Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center.  The Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center is the main beneficiary of the Toshiba Classic.

The competition included a long drive contest, a closest to the pin contest, and a putting contest.  There were a few loose shots, and many laughs with Fuzzy Zoeller emceeing the event.  Despite a great lag to three-feet by USC QB Matt Leinart, Team UCLA captain Corey Pavin nearly holed the 60-foot putt to seal the deal.

UCLA defeated USC by a score of 94-73.

Below are a few pictures of the event:

Leinart admires his lag putt to three-feet.

Corey Pavin seals the deal after nearly holing a 60-foot putt during the putting contest:

Zoeller rolling the rock:

Five-time NBA All-Star Paul Westphal during the putting contest.  Westphal was also a successful head coach in the NBA, bringing the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 1993.

I learned an important lesson today, always make sure the voice recorder is on.  I had a nice chat with Coach Westphal about how the NBA has changed from the time he was a player in the 70s and early 80s.  He said teams didn’t know how to incorporate the three-point shot into their game plans when it was introduced in 1979-80.  I also asked him if flopping was around when he was a player, and he said of course it was.