San Francisco resident Matt Cohn may always remember this one as the Magnificent Seven.
Cohn sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole to dramatically hold off Jeremy Gearhart and Adam Yount and win the annual NCGA Mid-Amateur on a picture-perfect Tuesday at Poppy Ridge. The victory marked Cohn's seventh career NCGA title--the now 45-year-old's other NCGA victories include the Mid-Am Four-Ball and Four-Ball with partner Nick Randazzo, three Public Links, and the 2018 Mid-Am.
"I will definitely remember that one for a long time," who finished the event with a 36-hole score of 8-under 136 after a final round 71. "Today was tougher, but I hung in there. You never know in golf how things are going to shake out."
In what became a thriller, Cohn birdied the 16th hole to take a one-shot lead over Yount and Gearhart. On the ensuing par-3 17th, however, Yount and Gearhart made birdie, while Cohn had to settle for a par.
Standing on the 18th tee, all three were tied at a total of 7-under. Yount's third shot was a chip onto the green, but he missed his birdie try. Gearhart, who a day earlier posted an NCGA low 8-under 64 on the new Poppy Ridge, hit his second shot into the bunker protecting the front of the 18th green. His third shot stayed in the bunker, leaving him to settle for a par. Cohn, meanwhile, also chipped onto the green with his third shot. When it was his turn to putt, it rolled straight in, leading Cohn to throw his arms up in jubilation.
"On the 18th tee, I was thinking, I never made a putt for birdie on the last hole to win a tournament," Cohn said. "I had never had that experience. It wasn't a premonition, but I thought, 'This could happen here. It happened to go in."
Along with his birdies on 16 and 18, Cohn also carded a crucial birdie on the par-3 14th for the second straight day. In the first round, he nearly aced the hole, with his ball stopping just inches from the cup.
"The 14th is my new favorite hole," quipped Cohn.
Gearhart, winner of the 2023 NCGA Public Links, was on fire in the first round, posting a brilliant, bogey-free 64. Yount, who hails from Danville, put himself in contention with a final round 69.
