Champions Tour: Exemptions Fran Quinn and Esteban Toledo rule at the Hoag Classic in Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH – It’s turning into the weekend of the sponsor’s exemption in the Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club.

Fran Quinn and Esteban Toledo – two players who received invitations to compete from tournament director Jeff Purser after failing to qualify for the event – are in contention to win one of the most prestigious titles on PGA Tour Champions.

In pursuit of his first Champions victory in 59 career events on the 50-and-over tour, Quinn shot a 4-under 67 in Saturday’s second round to extend his lead going into Sunday’s final round. His 36-hole total of 11-under 131 puts him three shots ahead of David McKenzie (66 on Saturday) and David Toms (67).

Toledo, a longtime Orange County resident now living in Houston who considers this a hometown event, climbed the leaderboard with a 6-under 65 to get to 7-under par, tied for fourth with Kirk Triplett (65) and Woody Austin (67).

“I haven’t won out here yet,” Quinn said, “but I’ve got two thirds, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth . . . I’ve kind of been trending (upward) in the last two and a half years toward having an opportunity to win. So I’m just happy that I’ve given myself this chance. And I couldn’t be more grateful to Jeff Purser for giving me the opportunity.”

Toledo echoed those sentiments as he attempts to make the most of his sponsor’s exemption. And he says he’s motivated to win for Purser, and for several other good reasons.

A week ago, when he failed to get into the PGA Tour event in Tucson, Toledo said he drove to his hometown of Mexicali, Mexico – about 120 miles east of San Diego – to visit the orphanage his foundation had built with money donated from his winnings and fundraising events over the years.

“I have 10 beautiful kids (in the orphanage) that I love – they’re my family,” Toledo said. “I drove down there with my caddie, and I promised them that I was going to win this tournament. So . . . it’s for them. They’re wonderful little kids, and I’m pretty sure tomorrow they’re going to watch me on TV.”

Toledo, 56, a four-time winner on PGA Tour Champions, said he also is motivated to win here because Newport Beach Country Club is where he met his future wife, Colleen, back in the mid-1990s when he was competing in the Taco Bell Classic and she was a waitress at the club.

“I was throwing peanuts at her (while having dinner in the restaurant),” he said, smiling. “I told her (that night) that she was going to be my wife, and she said I was loco.”

Nevertheless, he asked her to go dancing at a disco on top of a nearby hotel, and they hit it off.

“Three years later, I put a ring on her (finger), and see what happens? I married her and now we’ve got two kids (stepson Nicholas and daughter Eden). It’s been fantastic. She thought I was crazy, but I wasn’t crazy.  . . . And now we’ve been together, what is it, 27 years? So it’s going to be a good day tomorrow.”

Toledo said he was inspired Saturday by the support he received from the gallery, which included Colleen, Eden (a college student who lives in Esteban’s longtime home in Irvine) and many friends and members from Newport Beach Country Club, where he once was given an honorary membership.

“There were a lot of people pulling for me, a lot of people cheering for me on the back nine,” he said. “I don’t know who they are, but it got me going. I really believe I’ve got to go out there and try to win this thing. . . . I would really like to win this one since I met my wife (here) and my daughter (Eden) was born in Hoag Hospital (the tournament title sponsor). I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Toledo is one of eight players within five shots of the lead, including first-round leader Scott McCarron (who stumbled to a 1-over 72 Saturday and is tied for seventh at 6 under). Paul Goydos of Coto de Caza is tied for ninth at 5 under, and Fred Couples of Newport Beach is tied for 15th at 4 under, as is UCLA alumnus Corey Pavin.

Saturday’s best rounds were carded by Jeff Maggert (8-under 63) and Scott Verplank (7-under 64). Verplank moved up to a tie for ninth, Maggert to a tie for  19th.

But they’re all chasing Quinn, who had to sleep on his first 36-hole lead on PGA Tour Champions.

“I’ll sleep fine; I always do,” Quinn said after Saturday’s round. “Coffee can’t even keep me up.”

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