Homecoming for Cochrane

He knows the course like the back of his hand and honed his golf and

managerial skills under the head professional who will tee it up

alongside him.

When Jones Cup IV kicks off Aug. 1 at Mesa Verde Country Club,

Geoff Cochrane, head golf professional at Santa Ana Country Club,

will be embarking on familiar turf.

Cochrane began as a bag attendant at Mesa Verde in 1993 and

eventually became an assistant pro under current head pro Tom

Sargent, who joined the club in 1995. Cochrane began as an assistant

pro at Santa Ana CC in December 2001 and was promoted to head pro

earlier this year.

“That place is like a second home to me,” Cochrane, who will play

in his first Jones Cup, said of Mesa Verde. “I’m excited to even play

in the Jones Cup and to have it at Mesa Verde means that much more.”

Joining Cochrane on the Santa Ana team will be Boyd Martin, who

won the men’s club champion- ship for a sixth time, 4 and 3, against

Bill Welch after 36 holes Saturday in the final of five days of match

play.

Martin defeated two-time defending champion Gregg Hemphill, 2 and

1, in an 18-hole semifinal Friday while Welch edged Matt Smith, 1 up.

The Jones Cup, a better-ball of partners format with two foursomes

teeing off back-to-back, began in 1997 under the auspices of the

Fletcher Jones Motorcars/Daily Pilot Club Championship Series.

This year’s event begins at 1 p.m. and features the pros and club

champions in the Daily Pilot circulation. Paul Hahn and Bruce Bearer

(amateur), Newport Beach Country Club; Tom Sargent and first-time

club champion Steve Rhorer, Mesa Verde; Bob Lovejoy and Will Tipton,

Big Canyon.

Will a keen course knowledge prevail for Cochrane, allowing him

and Martin to claim Santa Ana’s first Jones Cup victory, or will a

familiar champion continue tournament success for Big Canyon?

Lovejoy has been on the last two winning teams from Big Canyon

while Tipton won the club championship a second year in a row in the

fall.

Or is it time for Newport Beach to break through with Hahn and

Bearer?

Time will tell, but Aug. 1 draws ever so closer.

Lovejoy, Sargent and Mike Reehl, Director of Golf at Santa Ana,

spent this week at the Mauna Kea Golf Course on the Big Island of

Hawaii, competing in a three-day stroke-play pro-am with members from

their respective clubs.

Where do I sign up?

*

Rhorer and partner Mel Collins, from Lake Arrowhead Country Club,

posted a 285 to win the overall gross category at Mesa Verde’s

member-guest tournament. Marty Morris and Ed Burke, from Marbella

Country Club, tallied a 272 1/2 to win the overall net category.

The first flight net championship went to Steve Izzi and Bob

Anderson of the PGA of Southern California Golf Club (275 1/2) while

the second-flight title went to Steve Gingrich and Todd Harmon, from

the Westridge Members’ Golf Club, (277). H. Conners III and H.

Conners II, from Castlewood Country Club, tallied a 275 1/4 to win

the third flight and Rick Wooley, along with partner Warren Holt,

from El Niguel Country Club, posted a 277 to win the fourth flight by

three shots.

Tom and Mike Crosson (SeaCliff Country Club), were named derby

champions.