Mediate hopes to regain magic at Memorial
Mike Dudurich
Posted 2009-06-03
Rocco Mediate has played teed it up in 24 events since his spectacular duel in the sun with with Tiger Woods in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Four of those were in golf’s “Silly Season” that means he’s played in 20 full-field events since last June and doesn’t have a top 10 finish to his credit.
“I haven't done anything this year really,” Mediate said Wednesday. “I've played very consistently mediocre since then. I've hit good enough to compete in certain events, and I hope I continue to hit as good as I am now for this week, too.“
This week is the Memorial Tournament at Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village Golf Club near Columbus, Ohio. His miraculous play last year started at the Memorial last year (with a tie for sixth-place finish) and carried him to having a chance to upset the best player in the world.
He’s told the story of that week many more times than he’s had good weeks on the Tour since the Open.
It was a great story, one that captured the imagination of golf fans everywhere and one that had western Pennsylvania buzzing with the notion of having another U.S. Open champion join the legendary Arnold Palmer in that elite club.
Because Woods overcame the blown knee and stress fracture in the same leg and made some ultra-clutch putts when he needed to, Mediate’s dream remains just that: a dream.
“All I could do that day, that week, but especially that day, was enjoy the moment because it's a moment that neither one of us had before and neither one of us may never have again, as far as the type of playoff for a National Open,” Mediate said. “It just doesn't happen very often with him. So something I've always wanted to have before I got done was to try to beat him again on Sunday or whenever. You knew it was going to be a playoff.”
Mediate is a perfect example of someone who didn’t win, but may have benefitted more in the long run than had he won. Sure, it’s a tremendous honor to have that title” U.S. OPEN CHAMPION” but Mediate has benefitted in a lot of ways from his runner-up finish.
“You know, does he want to shoot 63 and win by 10? Probably. Of course he would. Why wouldn't he?
But that wasn't going to happen, especially with all the stuff I heard throughout the media -- and rightfully so,” Mediate said. “You can call it what you want. The funniest thing, like I said, was when I heard that I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into. Yes, I did. That's exactly what I've been waiting for my whole career. I know exactly what I've gotten into.
“They said I had nothing to lose. Yes, I did. I lost the U.S. Open trophy, what I covet most in my sport.
So I don't know why it goes the other way because I've always felt, why would I play any differently with him? It's going to be more exciting, which I love. It's going to be noisier, which I really love. And it's going to be just a totally different circus-like environment, which I absolutely love to play in.”
Mediate’s MO has been that he has played the difficult courses well over his career. He’s also been a good long-iron player, something that even the professionals can’t all do. And, as he remembers it, he’s done pretty well when he’s been matched up mano-a-mano against Eldrick.
“I've always felt you either play your best golf with him or your worst,” Mediate said. “I've always played my best golf with him, always. If you look back at the times we've played, we've been really close.”
Very few people gave the 47-year-old native of Greensburg, Pa., much of a chance when Woods and Mediate went to the Monday playoff. And why should they? Here was a guy who, despite five victories on Tour, for most of his career had been hampered by injuries and was characterized as slightly above the journeyman level.
And he came within a 20-foot Woods birdie putt on the 18th hole Sunday from winning the title outright.
“People will always remember that,” Mediate said. “For whatever reason they have, it was just something that it was really cool to be a part of. It's just hard to believe it actually happened like that. It was just really a neat week, a neat day on that Monday.”
Mediate, like the other members of one of golf’s most elite field (minus Phil Mickelson), hopes this week will help get his game into shape for the ferocious test that awaits at Bethpage Black in two weeks.
“I would never say I'm using it (the Memorial) more to prepare for the U.S. Open,” Mediate said. “I'm using the Memorial to try to win the Memorial. I'm not concerned about two weeks from now.
I think that's kind of like -- I don't know what you want to call it. I wouldn't want somebody saying that about my tournament. This isn't the preparation. It's just a great event.”
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About Mike...
As a sports writer for over 35 years, Mike Dudurich has seen a lot of great things, covered spectacular events, but his passion is, and has been golf.
He recently ended a 29-year career at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and will now be a frequent contributor on GolfGearReview.com.
Mike hosts a weekly golf radio show on 1250 ESPN in Pittsburgh from the beginning of April through the end of August.
The show airs Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. and can be heard online at http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/espnradio1250/show?showId=insidepghgolf - Listen to Mike Here!.
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