RODGER IS CUFFED IN FINAL.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Ed Cuff Jr. denied Pepperdine College its second straight state amateur golf champion Saturday, defeating Waves sophomore-to-be Bobby Rodger 5 and 4 in the 36-hole state final at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

It was sweet redemption for Cuff, a 36-year-old Temecula resident who was making his second appearance in the final after playing poorly and losing 5 and 3 to Steve Woods in the 1994 championship match. This time, Cuff forged a 7-up lead in the morning round and never really looked back.

Rodger, 19, playing in his first state amateur tournament and playing for the first time ever at Pebble Beach this week, had been attempting to match the title won last year by Valencia's Jason Gore - then a Pepperdine senior. But Rodger found himself four down after nine holes and never got closer than three down the rest of the day.

Cuff, who had defeated Tiger Woods in the '94 semifinal before losing the championship match to Steve Woods, was eliminated in last year's semifinals by Gore.

Cuff went 1-up with a first-hole birdie Saturday, gave the lead right back when he hit out of bounds on the next hole, then didn't lose another hole until the 10th and was 7-up after 17 holes.

Rodger got within five with 13 holes left in the afternoon round but then missed a hole-winning birdie try on No. 6, and Cuff followed with a stellar up-and-down from under the lip of a bunker on No. 8 to effectively clinch the win.

The rookie's ability to get to the final was impressive enough, considering he was on the brink of losing on the 18th hole of the quarterfinals. That day, he escaped an ocean-bordering hazard to make par and won in sudden death.

``I was pleased with just a quarterfinalist showing,'' Rodger said after Saturday's final. ``But right now I'm thinking about the fact that I lost. I think any competitor would.''