Kevin Cunningham
November 2, 2024
Rocco Mediate won the 2024 Constellation Furyk & Friends event in early October.
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
It’s not easy to become a US Open legend without ever winning the tournament, but few would disagree Rocco mediates fits the bill.
Although the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions veteran has put together a stellar career – with six wins on the PGA Tour and another five on the Senior Circuit – he will forever be known for the most high-profile loss of his career.
Bee the 2008 US Open at Torrey PinesMediate dueled with Tiger Forest at the height of his powers (albeit with a sore knee and a broken leg). At the end of 72 holes, Rocco and Woods were tied on top.
Padraig Harrington jokes about false confidence resulting from success on the senior tour
Nick Dimengo
Because there is no draw in stroke play golf, a play-off was necessary to determine the winner. At the time, the US Open called for an 18-hole play-off. So the pair returned to Torrey Pines on Monday morning to play their fifth round of the week mano a mano.
Incredibly, after the 18-hole playoff was completed, so were Mediate and Woods still tied, and it moved to a sudden death format, which Tiger finished on the very first hole for his 14th major championship win, and his last before his comeback win at the 2019 Masters.
The playoff lives on in golf legend, but it will never happen again. In 2018, the US Open scrapped the 18-hole play-off in favor of a two-hole all-out play-off.
Now a leading player on the PGA Tour Champions, Mediate won the Constellation Furyk & Friends in early October and is qualified for next week’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
But he still can’t avoid the questions about that ’08 US Open. That was the case Monday in Phoenix, during an event promoting next week’s tournament.
According to Golf weekWhen the topic of the US Open came up, Mediate had the extra holes in his mind and offered a good look at major playoffs.
The Putt: An Oral History of Tiger Woods’ Iconic Birdie on the 72nd Hole at Torrey Pines
Ryan Asselta
“The 18-hole play-offs are over. That’s ridiculous,” Mediate reportedly said. “Every major should be an 18-hole play-off. And if you tie, there should be 18 more. It’s a major. It is not a normal occurrence.”
The US Open was the last major for which Mediate played the 18-hole play-offs. The PGA Championship requires a three-hole total playoff. The Open Championship playoffs consist of four holes.
The Masters originally played a 36-hole playoff and then switched to an 18-hole playoff until 1976. Since then, the green jacket has been defined by sudden death, which especially angers Mediate.
“Sudden death at Augusta National? What? The Masters, are we going to make just one hole?’ Mediator said.
And if it hadn’t been clear to him what he meant, Mediate put a point on it.
“100 percent serious. 100 percent serious,” Mediate said. “’Oh but TV’. It’s not about television for me. I want the trophy,”
The 2024 Charles Schwab Cup Championship kicks off Thursday, November 7 at Phoenix Country Club. Mediate starts the week in 20th place in the field of 36 players.
“>