AT& T NATIONAL NOTEBOOK
Mediate Seals His Spot in British Open
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Monday, July 7, 2008
Rocco Mediate had such a good time playing in the U.S. Open last month that he was really hoping to play well enough at the AT&T National to earn a spot in the British Open field. Mediate entered this week's tournament ranked second on the British Open money list, which would earn him one of the two exemptions into the field, but he had to hold off late charges by Tommy Armour III and Tom Pernice Jr.
Mediate shot a 4-under-par 66 yesterday at Congressional Country Club to finish tied for 18th. His $81,000 paycheck was enough to edge Armour, who tied for third. Because six players finished in a third-place tie, splitting the payout, Armour's $256,500 earnings fell short of vaulting him past Mediate. Pernice tied for ninth. Fredrik Jacobson also qualified for the British Open, as this week's top finisher who wasn't already eligible for the field.
"That's what I want to play," said Mediate, who will make his first British Open appearance since 2002, when he tied for 47th. "I want to play one of those major things again like we did a month ago."
Mediate has gained folk hero status since his 19-hole playoff with Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open as fans have embraced the journeyman. But a few of them have gotten a bit carried away, Mediate said.
"I'm trying to keep reminding people that it was the greatest day of my life, but he beat me. You've got to remember that," Mediate said. "A guy said to me last week on the 17th hole of the Buick Open, he goes . . . 'Tiger who?' I went, 'You mean the 2008 U.S. Open champion. Did we forget already?' Because [Woods] is not around. You've got to have that respect. Some people have said some things that I've been very angry about.
"You have to respect what [Woods] did, because he's not here to say anything. He's fixing his knee. . . . Like I said, I couldn't beat a guy with a broken leg."
After an opening-round 73, Mediate improved his score each day this week, shooting 68, 67 and 66 over the final three days.
"I can't complain about the week at all," he said. "The first day I was a little tired and felt lazy, lackadaisical, but I'm pleased."
Mediate is looking forward to taking this week off.
"I'm going to put it away for a while and do nothing for a few days," he said.
A TV Message From Woods
Woods, who remained in Orlando recovering from June 24 surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, was not at the tournament but did appear on the television broadcast.
"I feel bad that I can't be there to support AT&T and what everyone has done, everybody at Congressional and all of the military personnel and all of the volunteers and all of the people that made it a special event," he said. "I can't come there and shake their hand and say hello and thank you. I do feel guilty from that standpoint, and it is a little more difficult than I thought it would be."
