Mediation required

I don't have a whole lot to say about the oddly named Rocco Mediate -- many others have that subject covered pretty well. But I do have a little bit to say about him. This is a 45-year-old man with chronic back trouble, who has won exactly five PGA Tour events in his career, and four non-PGA events. He hasn't won a PGA event since 2002 (the much-heralded Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic). And over the past weekend, he matched the great Tiger Woods stroke-for-stroke for 90 holes in the U.S. Open, one of the PGA's cornerstone events. It wasn't until the 91st that Tiger finally got the better of him.

What better David-and-Goliath story is there? Mediate would have been the oldest U.S. Open champion of all time. Even Tiger admitted he would have been rooting for Rocco, had he been a fan instead of a participant. It would have been golf's upset of the century.

Rocco seems to be a likable guy, too. Boos were heard when someone's cell phone went off in the gallery as Tiger got ready to tee off on the first hole. Rocco was asked about it later, and said: "It wasn't mine."

He'll probably never get another opportunity like this. But we can all remember this one.