Does Rocco Mediate's comment remove all doubt that the PGA Tour is doomed?

Question

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this line in today's USA Today under a picture of Rocco Mediate:

Year to remember: Rocco Mediate, above, lost to Tiger Woods in a 19-hole playoff in the U.S. Open but called it "my most enjoyable day on the golf course."

Wow. A guy loses the U.S. Open and calls it the best day he's ever had. And people wonder why PGA Tour TV rankings are in the crapper? First, you get a hundred guys against a gimp with a torn ACL and one, count 'em one, is able to step up. Then that guy loses and said he had a great time.

I must not be old school, I must be the guy before they built the old school.

Answer 1

When you consider that the Open was the first time in his career that he was in contention for a Major title. Yes it was a pretty good day for him......would he have prefered to win?  you can bet your butt cheeks he would have.  Lets see if we can set up a match between you and "the gimp" the first day he gets to play after he is done rehabing from his surgery....Maybe then you will have a bit more understanding of what it takes to beat the World #1.  ( Injured or rusty...My bet is he would kick your butt and still give you 20 strokes)

Answer 2

Actually, ratings for the last two days and the playoff were higher than what would be considered 'the crapper'.

Second, if you don't know Mr. Mediate, you cannot comment about the things he says.  I have met him once, near his home in PA, and he is the genuine article you wish he wasn't.

I would be disappointed, but remember to put things in the proper context.  I am old school too (ask me about the DH and interleague play in baseball and you will not STOP my bellyaching!!!!0, but I find what Rocco said to be freshly entertaining.

Of course, what is still more amazing is the work of Tiger over the five days.  To be able to play and win when you should be on crutches defies logical thought!

Answer 3

What i think he meant was that even though he got beat he still enjoyed it as he played well and he played well to get there. I think its all mental when it comes to tiger woods, people are scared of him, you can see it when all pros play with him, barr mickelson (sometimes in strokeplay rounds) with most players tigers won before the competition has even started! Golf is roughly 80-90% mental game!

Answer 4

I dont agree with anything you said.  Even though Rocco ended up not winning, it was still his day in the limelight and probably his best performance ever as a golf professional.  The other 100 guys are awesome at what they do.  They're just playing in the era of the greatest golfer ever.  I wouldnt call you old school.  Ignorant? Absolutely.

Answer 5

I think you've missed the entire point of the comment. Mediate had been languishing for several years, just on the fringe of the top level primarily because of injuries.  He went toe to toe with the greatest golfer of our time and held out for 90 holes.  Woods, for his part, showed the heart of the great champion- even with a very painful knee injury, he played through the pain and came out with the US Open trophy.

Gimp or not, Woods is phenomenal.

Answer 6

Nah, I understand what he is saying.  Trust me he wanted to win.  But to even be there against the #1 player and to give it such a ride, must have been awesome for this perenial also ran.  

Look, 10 years from now, Rocco will be a club pro, and Tiger will still be a pro.  

Golf isn't doomed, its heyday is just starting.

Answer 7

Funny:  Here is what those same sentiments would sound like in any other sport:

Kobe Bryant: "Man, we lost but it was sure fun getting our a**es beat on national TV by the best... I gotta hand it to those Celtics, they totally dominated us, but hey - I gotta go and see if I can get Kevin Garnet's autograph..."

Tom Brady:  "Those Mannings are just too good for me, but I'm glad Eli and Peyton got rings at my expense because they are so darn good...it was just a blast losing to Eli this year.  I'll be telling my grandkids about that game some day..."