Rocco wins fans; TIger wins U.S. Open

Were you among the majority of us pulling for Rocco Mediate to win the U.S. Open on Monday at Torrey Pines?

Tiger Woods has had his (14) days in the sun; winning 14 major tournaments now.

Rocco was bidding to become the oldest golfer ever at age 45 to win a major. He had not won in 138 starts and was ranked No. 158 in the world before jumping to No. 47 after the U.S. Open.

Even though this will always be remembered as Tiger’s 14th major, some of us will never forget it as the tournament when Rocco became a fan favorite over Tiger.

Here’s more from espn.com:

It capped a remarkable week for the world's No. 1 player, who had not played since April 15 surgery on his left knee and looked as though every step was a burden. But the knee held up for 91 holes, and the payoff was worth the pain, even if doctors had warned him that he risked further injury by playing the Open.

"I'm glad I'm done," Woods said. "I really don't feel like playing anymore. It's sore."

Woods joins Jack Nicklaus as the only players to capture the career Grand Slam three times over.

Mediate's odyssey began two weeks ago when he had to survive a sudden-death playoff simply to qualify for this U.S. Open. Even more unlikely was going toe-to-toe with Woods -- whom Mediate referred to as a "monster" -- and nearly slaying him.

He had a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win, but it slid by on the left.

Mediate struggled to keep his emotions after taking bogey on the first extra hole, but he walked off Torrey Pines with 12,000 new friends who crammed both sides of every fairway for a playoff that was tighter than anyone imagined.

"Obviously, I would have loved to win," he said. "I don't know what else to say. They wanted a show, they got one."

Did they ever.

From the opening tee shot Thursday in a light fog known as "June Gloom," this U.S. Open simply shined.

"This is probably the greatest tournament I've ever had," Woods said.

Tiger takes control at U.S. Open

The U.S. Open went prime time, and so did Tiger Woods.
With unbearable pain and three unforgettable shots, Woods turned in one of his most memorable performances in a major Saturday by holing two long eagle putts, chipping in for birdie and somehow taking a one-shot lead over Lee Westwood.
Right when some 50,000 fans at Torrey Pines thought they had seen it all, Woods knocked in a 30-foot eagle on the 18th for a 1-under 70 and his first 54-hole lead in the U.S. Open since he won at Bethpage Black in 2002.
That he made it to the finish line was nearly as impressive as a magical array of shots.
His tender left knee first buckled on the 15th hole, and Woods used his club as a cane to get down the fairway, limping along while trying to stay in the hunt. He played the final six holes in 4 under - and that included a bogey - and will play in the final group for the sixth time in the last eight majors.
This time he has the lead, and he has never lost a major from the front.
But he has never won a major with a limp, either.
"Is it getting worse? Yes, it is," said Woods, playing for the first time since surgery April 15 to clean out cartilage in his left knee. "Certain shots, I'll feel it. I can't say it's a drive, can't say it's a wedge. I'm not sure what shot it's going to happen on."
Woods was at 3-under 210, one of only three players still under par.
As spectacular as Woods played, Westwood got it done with steady golf so often required at this major. He holed a short birdie putt on the par-5 13th and finished with six straight pars, missing a 4-foot birdie on the last hole for a 70. The 35-year-old from England has never had this good an opportunity in a major.
"It will be nice going out last tomorrow and having a chance," Westwood said.
Rocco Mediate, trying to become the oldest U.S. Open champion at age 45, looked as though he would leave everyone behind when he made an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 10 to reach 4-under and kept putting his shots in the fairway and on the green.
But a three-putt bogey on the 13th was the start of a four-hole stretch that he played 4-over par. That included a chip he bladed over the green and into a bunker for double bogey on the 15th. He had to settle for a 72 and was at 1-under 212.

(courtesy of Associated Press)

Tiger on tail of U.S. Open leader

Stuart Appleby birdied the 18th hole to shoot 70 and grab the U.S. Open lead at Torrey Pines on Friday.

But someone is gaining on him. Quickly.

Tiger Woods shot 30 on the front nine at Torrey Pines -- his final nine holes of the day -- to card a 68 and move to within a shot of the lead through 36 holes.

Woods birdied the first, second, fourth, fifth and ninth holes to shoot 30 on the par-35 front nine. Only three players in U.S. Open history have shot 29 for nine holes.

Woods is playing competitively for the first time since The Masters. He had surgery on his left knee two days after that event.

Woods, who three-putted his first hole (the 10th) and made two bogeys in his first three holes, electrified the gallery with an eagle on the par-5 13th hole to get back to 1-over par (his first U.S. Open eagle since 2004 at Shinnecock Hills).

(courtesy of espn.com)

U.S. Open brings out frontrunners

Did you know the U.S. Open is in San Diego this week, lol?

It’s amazing how everybody, especially the media, comes out of the woodwork for this.

On TV, you see people who don’t know a birdie from a bogey all of a sudden become golf “experts.” Ditto for radio and newspaper divisions.

There is one refreshing thing about having the U.S. Open in town, even if it does bring out the frontrunners who don’t know Sergio Garcia from Sergio Mendes: Golf has replaced the police blotter as the lead story in town.

That’s very refreshing in these days of television sensationalism.