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William Shunn
shunn
17 June 2008 @ 01:47 pm
A parabolic tangent  
It's not hard to understand why I got so caught up yesterday in the drama of the U.S. Open. Rocco Mediate is in his 40s, he's damn good at what he does, and he's had a little success in his twenty years in the game, but he's toiled in relative obscurity while watching younger, more prolific players rise up after him and dominate the field. Nonetheless, for a few holes there, he outplayed and even rattled the best player in the world, and it looked for a while as if he might actually pull out a once-in-a-lifetime victory.

Yes, even hurt, Tiger Woods still could not be beat. But I don't think Rocco really lost yesterday. With good humor and grace under pressure, he showed the world that, even if he doesn't have the juice to fly steadily at Tiger's altitude, he always had the potential in him for one mighty leap that at least grazed that height. I admit it—I had to wipe my eyes there at the end. He won one for me, and maybe he won one for you too.


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derrylm[info]derrylm on June 18th, 2008 04:55 am (UTC)
Says on ESPN that he's 43rd for money winning in 08, with just over 1.1 million. I'm guessing that that includes the weekend take. He still has to pay travel, caddy, make do being away from home all the time and more, but it's a darn sight better than the guys at the bottom of that list, all of them at $2000 for the year. That's a tough life.

He played a helluva game. I for one would have loved to see him pull it off, but once it went to playoff I knew it was over.

D
William Shunn: Underwood Tattoo[info]shunn on June 19th, 2008 11:18 am (UTC)
I am romanticizing Rocco, of course, but he's an immensely likable player and it's hard not to see him as an Everyman. I hope he picks up a juicy endorsement deal. ('m curious how he ranked as a moneymaker last year.

but once it went to playoff I knew it was over.

Still, who could have predicted he'd take it to 19 holes?
It's not hard to understand why I got so caught up yesterday in the drama of the U.S. Open. Rocco Mediate is in his 40s, he's damn good at what he does, and he's had a little success in his twenty years in the game, but he's toiled in relative obscurity while watching younger, more prolific players rise up after him and dominate the field. Nonetheless, for a few holes there, he outplayed and even rattled the best player in the world, and it looked for a while as if he might actually pull out a once-in-a-lifetime victory.

Yes, even hurt, Tiger Woods still could not be beat. But I don't think Rocco really lost yesterday. With good humor and grace under pressure, he showed the world that, even if he doesn't have the juice to fly steadily at Tiger's altitude, he always had the potential in him for one mighty leap that at least grazed that height. I admit it—I had to wipe my eyes there at the end. He won one for me, and maybe he won one for you too.


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