Cóceres was born in Argentina's Chaco province. He is one of 11 children who grew up in a two-bedroom house. He became a caddie and taught himself the game.
Professional career
In 1986, Cóceres turned professional and won a place on the European Tour at its 1990 Qualifying School. After struggling in 1991 and 1992 he performed steadily on the tour from 1993 onwards and in 2000 he reached a career high of thirteenth on the Order of Merit. His two European Tour wins came at the 1994 Heineken Open Catalonia and the 2000 Dubai Desert Classic.
In 2001, Cóceres switched to the PGA Tour. His first season in the U.S. was very inconsistent, with seven missed cuts and only two top ten finishes, but those top ten finishes were wins at the WorldCom Classic - The Heritage of Golf and the National Car Rental Golf Classic Disney. He was the first Argentine to win on the PGA Tour since Roberto De Vicenzo at the 1968 Houston Champions International. He broke his arm before the start of the 2002 season, and has struggled for form since. He has featured in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Cóceres did not play on the PGA Tour from 2009 to 2013 due to an injured left wrist.[2]
Cóceres has won several tournaments in his home country and elsewhere in South America. In 2002 he became the third golfer to receive Argentina's highest sports award, the Olimpia de Oro ("Golden Olympia").
