SF City Championship: Cocco Takes Historic Title

SAN FRANCISCO, California (March 11, 2007) -- Chadd Cocco of Moraga headed for the lunch break in today's 36-hole final match at the San Francisco City Championship four down to tournament medalist Reid Scarff of Oroville. But something must have clicked during the break - the explosive Cocco (who had 10 birdies in Saturday's semifinal) charged out of the gates on the second 18 and won the first six holes.

And while Scarff may have provided a little assistance with bogeys on the first three afternoon holes, Cocco kept the momentum swinging in his direction with a birdie at the par-5 fourth (the long hitting former Oregon state am champ dominated Harding's par-5's all weekend).

Scarff had plenty of fight left in him. The players halved the short 7th hole with birdies, and Scarff won the par-3 eighth with a par after Cocco missed the green and failed to convert. Then it was Scarff's turn at some par-5 magic. He hit driver, 3-wood to 8 feet at the ninth and converted the putt for eagle. The players were all square going into Harding Park's awesome back nine.

Cocco birdied the par-5 10th and 12th holes to go 2-up, but missed a short putt to go 3-up at No. 13. When Scarff won fifteen with a par and the players halved at sixteen, it came down to the par-3 17th (where John Daly famously missed a 3-footer in a playoff with Tiger Woods at the Amex) and Scarff had the honor. He went right after the flag, which was tucked on the right side of the green, but missed the surface and left a tough up-and-down. Cocco was looking for the fat of the green, but missed to the left.

"I was really trying for the middle of the green on 17, but I pulled the shot a bit," said Cocco. "We both had putts in the 8-10 foot range and I was slightly away -- when I made mine it was the biggest putt of the tournament for me."

In fact, it was the putt that won the tournament, as Scarff's putt to extend the match narrowly missed.

Other Divisions:

Diane Kwon of Fremont repeated as Women's Champ with a 3-and-2 victory over eighth-grader Grace Na of Alameda, while Carl Selkirk of Chico defeated Doug Johnson of Fresno, 3-and-1 in the senior division.