There was no denying that he could play golf, however. Bolt had one of the best swings of his era and ranked up 15 PGA Tour wins, despite not joining the Tour until he was in his 30s. Think what he could have accomplished in the game had war not occupied him during his younger years.

After the PGA Tour, he played on the Senior Tour for several years and won three tournaments.

Post from: Green Posse

Moody joined the PGA tour in 1967 after a career in the military. He played 250 tournaments, but the Open was his only tour win. He had more success on the Senior Tour (now the Champions Tour). He won 11 Senior Tour events. Moody died today at age 74. No details on his death were given.

Post from: Green Posse

OWN YOUR WORDS, PEOPLE!

In another in an all too frequent trend, NBC golf commentator, Johnny Miller apologized today for his rude remarks about Rocco Mediate during the network’s coverage of the US Open. Miller, winner of the 1973 Open and the first golfer to be inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame, said something to the effect that “guys named Rocco don’t win the US Open” and a few other choice remarks. This despite Mediate’s superlative performance in the tournament and his toughness in matching Tiger Woods almost stroke for stroke in the last 19 holes.

Last winter, there was a similar incident involving the Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman.

Why do these things “blurt out”? In my opinion, it’s because such rudeness is considered acceptable in the clubhouse among friends or at an after-golf cocktail hour. Until rudeness is as abhored behind close doors as it is on TV, we’ll continue to have these unfortunate happenings again and again.

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Post from: Green Posse

Following his dramatic win yesterday in the 108th US Open, his 3rd Open win, Tiger Woods told reporters that he was “going to shut it down for a while,” meaning that he was going to give his knee a chance to heal properly following his surgery on April 15.

Woods also admitted that he had been advised by his doctors to skip the US Open. He declined to say whether he’ll be playing in the British Open, which begins July 17.

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Post from: Green Posse

WOW! In what Tiger Woods called the “greatest tournament I’ve ever had,” the number one player in the world defeated the unlikely, but worthy challenger, Rocco Mediate to win the 108th US Open Championship. It is his 14th win in a major tournament and his third US Open title.

The win was not an easy one, however. Mediate stayed with Woods through 18 holes, sinking birdies at 13, 14, and 15, eventually watching Tiger sink a 10-foot putt at 18 to send the tournament into a sudden death playoff.

They returned to the 7th hole, a hole that has favored Woods and today was no different. He drove solidly onto the fairway while Mediate went from one bunker to the next. However, Mediate’s last putt could have sent the match to another hole, but it was not to be. Rocco missed and Tiger won his third US Open.

Rocco Mediate has every reason to be proud of himself going head to head with golf’s very best. In addition to the sizeable paycheck, he’ll rise 111 places in the World Rankings with his second place finish.

Those who say that golf is boring and is losing its appeal should be silenced for the near future. No one could possibly have called this weekend’s tournament dull.

WOW!

Post from: Green Posse

If you’re like me, you’ve been vaguely aware of Rocco Mediate for years, but never really knew much about him…until this week. Now that he’s in a playoff for the 2008 US Open Championship with Tiger Woods, all eyes are on him. But who is this veteran player that’s challenging the best in the world? Here are a few facts about Rocco:

• He’s 45 years old. (If he wins the US Open, he will be the oldest player to have ever won the tournament.)

• Prior to this week, his best finish in the US Open was fourth in 2001.
• He was nine prior professional wins, the most recent of which was the CVS Charity Classic in 2003.

• He was ranked 158 in the world, coming into Monday.

• He resides in Naples, Florida.
• He’s a Sagitarrius (born 12-17-1962).

• He went to college at Florida Southern College.

• He turned pro in 1985.

• He was born in Greensburg, PA, not far from Arnold Palmer’s home town of Latrobe.

• He was 54th in career earnings on the PGA Tour, at the start of the US Open.

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Post from: Green Posse

I hope you didn’t have anything to do this afternoon, because the US Open’s not over yet. Rocco Mediate, a 45-year old tour veteran from Greensburg, PA is facing the best player in the world, Tiger Woods, in an 18-hole one-to-one playoff match to determine the winner of the 2008 US Open. Tee-off is at 9am PDT (noon EDT). The coverage starts on ESPN and continues on NBC at 2pm.

Yesterday’s round was almost as compelling as Saturday’s. Woods started the day with a double-bogey at hole #1 (again), leaving viewers to wonder about the state of his injured knee. The next hole wasn’t a lot better, but, true to form, he played solid golf for the rest of the round, forcing a playoff with a dramatic, 12-foot, birdie putt at #18. ESPN analysts are saying that today’s round (with no disrespect to Mediate) will be about Tiger’s concentration and skill vs. the growing pain in his knee. We concur.

Kudos have to do to Lee Westwood’s solid play. While less dramatic than that of the two leaders, he ended the tournament one behind the leaders at Even par.

Honorable mentions go to Michael Thompson, the low amateur in the tournament (he tied for 29th) and to D.J. Trahan and Swedish golfer, Robert Karlsson, who tied for 4th at +2.

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Post from: Green Posse

When his knee hurting so badly that he sometimes grimaced in pain and used his clubs as a crutch to make his way down the fairways, Tiger Woods gave a master class in guts, concentration, and skill at Torrey Pines yesterday during round three of the US Open.

Five strokes off of the lead coming into the 13th hole, Woods eagled 13 and began a rally that would turn that five-stroke deficit into a one-stroke lead before the round was finished. In addition to the eagle at 13, he lucked into a birdey at 17th when his chip shot one-hopped into the hole. But, with Tiger luck is a by-product of his incredible skill, which he displayed at 18, sinking a 30+-foot putt for the sole lead in the tournament.

Tiger is historically unbeatable when he has sole possession of the lead. He hasn’t been topped in more than seven years when he’s led at the beginning of the final round.

Still, Woods’ knee is the great variable. His amazing concentration seems able to put aside the pain, but he admitted to NBC reporters that the knee was getting worse each day of the tournament. If he can make it through another 18 holes this afternoon, will he pay a price later with his injury? Let’s hope that the price of winning the Open is not that great.

If you missed the round yesterday, below are the Tiger highlights. It’s golf at its best.

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Post from: Green Posse

British golfer, Ian Poulter is known for his outlandish fashion. Not every golfer could pull off the pink shirt and plaid pants, but somehow it works on him.

Rocco Mediate is looking good to lead the open (he’s just one stroke behind Appleby going into round three), but not so good in the sweater vest. Best to leave the vests to the under-25 crowd.

There was a sea of orange shirts at Torry Pines yesterday, including this one on England’s Luke Donald. What is it with guys and orange?

Masters winner, Trevor Immelman looks sleek and put together in this white slacks and two-tone shirt combination.

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Post from: Green Posse

Round two of the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines did not disappoint. Kevin Streelman and Justin Hicks learned that carding two good consecutive rounds in the US Open is not an easy feat. They both carded a +6 for the day, leaving them at +3 for the tournament and well behind the leader, Australian Stuart Appleby (pictured above). Appleby grabbed sole possession of the lead with a birdie on 18.

Tiger Woods, playing with a slight limp, showed why he’s the best player in the world. After a rough first hole, he carded a near-record 30 on the back nine to come within one stroke of Appleby. Robert Karlsson of Sweden and Rocco Mediate of the US are also at -2.

Those failing to make the cut include defending champion Angel Cabrera, Zach Johnson, J B Holmes, Steve Marino, K J Choi, and Colin Montgomerie. Ian Poulter of the UK withdrew after round two.

Only three amateurs remain in the competition: Derek Fathauer of Louisville, Mike Thompson of Tucson, and Rickie Fowler of Oklahoma State.

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Post from: Green Posse