Hoag Charity Sports Hall of Fame

Tournament Chairman, 1998–2007

After leading the Taco Bell Newport Classic for five years, Hank became the Toshiba Classic Tournament Chairman during the initial 10 years of Hoag’s management. Hank was instrumental in building the tournament into the premier event it is today. His stewardship left a lasting imprint, as the Toshiba Classic was the first PGA TOUR Champions event to raise $1 million for charity in any one year (2000), and the tournament has averaged over a million dollars per year ever since.

Tournament Chairman, 1998–2006

Jake’s leadership and support of Hoag’s golf events extends back to 1985, when he first served as Tournament Chairman of the Newport Classic. As Co-Chairman of the Toshiba Classic from 1998–2006, Jake Rohrer helped create an operation that evolved into the best run tournament on the PGA TOUR Champions. Over 1,000 volunteers under Jake’s command served Hoag in our efforts to raise $1 million annually for this community, creating the most important charitable event in all of Orange County.

Contributor and Chairman, 2018–Present

Paul Folino has been an avid fan and supporter of the Hoag Classic since Emulex became a diamond sponsor in 2001. Since that time, Paul quietly worked behind the scenes helping build additional corporate support in the Orange County business community. His leadership has had a direct and meaningful impact on the success of this tournament and the charities that benefit. Paul became just the third Tournament Chairman of Hoag’s PGA TOUR Champions event in 2019.

Contributor

When Jack began his sponsorship in 2009, he immediately also became an ambassador for this tournament throughout the community, engaging partners and associates to join and support the event. Jack became a board member when Hoag Charity Sports was formed. He continued to be a leading supporter every year, and his contributions helped us consistently be the foremost tournament on the PGA TOUR Champions.

Tournament Chairman 2008–2018

As Tournament Chairman from 2008–2018, Ira Garbutt’s leadership coming out of difficult economic times was critical to our status as the premier charitable TOUR event. Additionally, he helped organize and structure Hoag Charity Sports – a Hoag supporting 501(c)(3) foundation that now hosts the tournament – and established a structure of leadership which will serve the tournament well into the future.

Contributor, Crosby Southern Tournament Founder and Chairman

Marshall Duffield is, quite simply, the founder of Hoag Hospital professional golf. As a friend of Bing Crosby, “Duffy” created the initial Crosby Southern Pro-Am in 1975 and started Hoag down the path of using golf as a fundraiser and community promotion. Over four decades later, the Crosby Southern has evolved into the most successful and largest PGA TOUR Champions event in history.

Contributor, Crosby Southern Co-Founder and Tournament Chairman

Charley Hester, an early 552 Club member and later Hoag Hospital Board member, was asked by his friend Marshall Duffield to help seal the deal with Bing Crosby. For the annual fee of $1 to the Crosby family, the Crosby Southern was launched. Charley then played a key role in securing sponsors and community support in the early years of the tournament, as Hoag’s golf events became an important piece of the foundation’s fundraising efforts.

Contributor

Mark Simons spearheaded Toshiba’s title sponsorship and partnership with Hoag from 1998 – 2018. His corporate leadership, coupled with his commitment to community and charity, was a formula for success that helped propel the tournament to the leading event for charity on the entire PGA TOUR Champions.