Notebook: Experience Wins Out In Zahringer’s Match

By Alex Miceli

Ardmore, Pa. -- It was 20-year-old Chad Cocco, a junior at St. Mary’s College versus 52-year-old George Zahringer in match 14 of the first round of the U.S. Amateur.

While Cocco out drove Zahringer on almost every hole and continually had the shorter shots in, Zahringer was undaunted. Even when he went 3 down through 11 holes it was Zahringer that played better down the stretch to make up the deficit to win in 19 holes.

"In match play, sometimes it’s the guy who makes the fewer mistakes [that] wins, not necessarily the guy that plays the better golf all the time," said Zahringer after making a 10-footer for birdie on the first extra hole.  "I think we both made our share of mistakes."

Truer words were never spoken as Zahringer was 5 over for the 19 holes and Cocco was 1 over. But Zahringer would be patient and wait for his chances.  Cocco made the turn at 5 under and with a 3-up lead and seemed to have complete control of the match.

"In the middle I kind of – four to five holes, I made some mistakes," said Zahringer of his front nine.  "I don’t know if I got unfocused or not.  I’ve been driving it well.  I hit 11 fairways here yesterday.  I hit 11 fairways at Philly and on a couple of those holes I’ve had the worst lies I’ve had all week and I made some bogeys and I made one stupid mistake. I let him win the fifth hole with a bogey, I made double and that of course is – you just kick yourself and say, Oh how dumb are you?’  You make him make a par to win the hole; you never let a guy win a hole with a bogey."

Both players bogeyed the par-4 10^th hole as Zahringer missed a short putt and would miss makeable birdie putts on the 11th to again allow Cocco to keep his lead. But on the 12^th , Cocco three-putted and then would hit his wedge in the bunker on the short par-3 13^th after Zahringer had putt his tee shot in the middle of the green. And after leaving the ball in the bunker Zahringer was just 1 down going into the 14^th.

Zahringer would give it right back when he three-putted from below the crest on the 16^th green to go 1 down again. 

"I had everything I needed and just choked," said Zahringer. "I knew I had to get up that hill. Actually hit a good second putt it just didn’t go in.  No excuse there. I shouldn’t be putting outside of his ball for my second putt."

Cocco would give it right back on the par-3 17^th as he could not control the ball out of the greenside rough and chipped the ball across the green. He would eventually make a five to Zahringer’s four to again square the match.

"You can see the ebb and flow here," said Zahringer.  "Then he may have hit the wrong club on 17 and I just played a smart shot to give myself a putt."

After both players made good pars from the rough on the 505-yard par-418^th, Zahringer’s experience would win out on the 19^th hole when he played first and put his approach shot to within 10 feet. Cocco, with only 70 yards left to the hole, put his approach in the bunker.

"It helped, but you still have to hit the shots," said Zahringer. 

Now he has to do it again in the second round against 16-year-old Oliver Fisher, who defeated Lee Williams 5 & 3.

No. 18

The 18^th hole is playing 505 yards this week.  For the members it’s a par 5, but for the field it’s a par 4. And for Gary Wolstenholme, maybe the shortest player in the field, if it’s not downwind he may not make the crest of the hill, which is 246 yards, a bit uphill from the tee.

"Fortunately it’s downwind at the moment and all of my teammates that came over with me were taking a mickie [grief] as to whether I could actually reach the fairway," said Wolstenholme.  "The USGA very kindly cut the rough at the bottom of the quarry for me."

Wolstenholme always believed that specifically the 17^th and 18^th holes are crucial and specifically took more time on those holes.  As it turned out it was practice well spent as he won the 17^th, hitting what he described as a "soft driver" that would have some top spin to run up on the green, where he would make a birdie two. He then would take the lead and make an important par on the 18^th to win 1 up.

"It was a tough game, could have gone either way," said Wolstenholme.  "Fortunately maybe my experience just paid in the end, but I don’t know."

Wolstenholme will now play Dillon Dougherty in the second round.  Dougherty defeated Alex Knoll, 5 and 3.

Former Champions

Six former USGA champions made their way to the match-play portion of the U.S. Amateur, but some went home early.

Austin Eaton III of New London, N.H., the 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, won his match against Pablo Martin, 2 and 1.

Brian Harman of Savannah, Ga., the 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, won his match in 22 holes, the longest match of the day.  Harman also had to play extra holes in the playoff this morning to get into the match-play portion.

Nathan Smith of Brookville, Pa., the 2003 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, beat Ron Harvey Jr., 2 and 1.

Zahringer, the 2002 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, won his match against Cocco in 19 holes.

Sihwan Kim of Fullerton, Calif., the 2004 U.S. Junior champion, lost his match to Kevin Chappell, 1 up.

And Charlie Beljan of Mesa, Ariz., the 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, lost in his match against Billy Hurley, 5 and 4.

Alex Miceli is a free-lance writer whose work has appeared previously on www.usamateur.org.