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It all came down to one final putt for Naples native Rocco Mediate in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. He had just gone toe-to-toe with the best golfer in the world during an 18-hole playoff that only decided that more golf needed to be played. Tiger had just tapped in for par on the 91st hole and Rocco needed to make his long par putt to continue on to the second sudden-death hole. But, as we know now, the putt stayed just outside of the hole and Tiger went on to win his 14th major.

Its not an easy thing that Rocco did for 18 holes on Monday morning, most golfers wither when Tiger is in the field, let alone in the same group, let alone in a playoff for a major. Also noteworthy is Tiger’s unbelievable seven wins at Torrey Pines, his first coming at the age of eight, needless to say he feels somewhat comfortable on the course he grew up just a short drive away from. After ten holes in the playoff Rocco was three down, but he managed to battle back, getting one up on Tiger. Rocco’s one bane of the week was his putting, having missed several putts during the weekend that would have further secured his lead, and on 18 he missed a birdie putt to win the championship in what is known as “Tiger fashion.” Tiger then went on to do what Rocco could not on 18, and the playoff was pushed to the one final hole. The second place finish for Rocco bumped him up 111 spots in the world golf rankings and more importantly, showed both himself and the world that he has what it takes to contend.

The playoff was bad back vs. bad knee; Rocco had a slight advantage in that regards, his last surgery came in 1999, while Tiger is technically still undergoing rehab from his knee surgery earlier this year. Every professional golfer can also thank Rocco for his run at Tiger; the 91 holes took such a toll on the world’s number one that he is out for the rest of the season with further complications in his left knee. While competition is welcomed on the tour, a Tiger-free tournament does allow for the opportunity for more players to win.

All week long Rocco played steady U.S. Open style golf, meaning he avoided the long rough that plagued Woods off of the tee. Were Mediate to win he would have become the oldest player to ever win a U.S. Open, but as it is Rocco’s record decreases to 0-44 in majors. Still, he played a very consistent style of golf that was what ultimately kept him in contention. He was also praised for the attitude he took to the whole experience, it was obvious on each and every hole that he was having fun and enjoying the atmosphere. Rocco could also be seen sporting a belt buckle in the shape of a peace sign on Saturday. His relaxed attitude didn’t mean that he wasn’t nervous, he admitted he was “nervous as a cat” en route to dropping his three footer on 18 to force sudden death. Mediate also became a fan favorite at Torrey Pines, a ‘Rocco’ chant could be heard after Tiger solidified his win.

The road to the Open was not nearly as easy for Rocco as it was for Tiger. Tiger was exempt from having to qualify, meeting ten of the eighteen stipulations set forth by the PGA. Rocco on the other hand, who last won in 2002, needed to qualify just as if he wasn’t a professional with five tour wins. Ironically, during his qualifier, Rocco was involved in an eleven man playoff to decide the final seven spots that would play in the open. Needless to say Rocco has had his fill of U.S. Open related playoffs for one year.

Having once resigned himself to commentating for the Golf Channel due to his back problems, we can now thank Rocco for the incredible show that he put on this past weekend. And hopefully this is just a sign of things to come for our hometown hero.