That Was Great

As I've detailed many times on this site, I detest the "instant history" that declares every great, just-completed event as the best ever. Of course the stuff that's just happened always seems like the best; what's most vivid in one's mind is always going to seem better than a hazy memory from year's past. But this year's U.S. Open deserves to be remembered as one of the best golf tournaments of all-time.
It's definitely the best since I started watching golf in the early '90s. The 2000 PGA previously held the title. That tourney featured a younger Tiger Woods holding off a true journeyman in Bob May. (I was upset yesterday and today that NBC (and Johnny Miller, in particular) made Rocco Mediate out to be a huge underdog. He's a guy with multiple wins on the PGA Tour and was once consistently ranked among the world's top 20 golfers. A golf tournament is a lot different than a boxing or tennis match; an underdog always has a chance. Mediate was, of course, the underdog, but not by as much as you'd think.) The recent U.S. Open trumps that PGA for a few reasons; namely because it's the U.S. Open and not the PGA Championship. The PGA is certainly the ugly-stepchild of golf's four majors. It's like the Australian Open in tennis. Nobody really remembers what happens in the PGA. For instance, I had completely forgotten that Tiger won the PGA last year. I don't remember even watching that Tournament.
Also, the 18-hole playoff today provided some unbelievable drama, thus rendering my prediction that the USGA would stop the 18-hole playoff completely off-base. (Note: Today's magic doesn't mean that the playoff is a good idea. It simply means that Tiger Woods playing an underdogged, crowd favorite in a tense battle is always going to be exciting. Driving a car with your feet isn't a good idea either, but it doesn't mean you can't get to your destination that way. Thusly, the playoff is still a bad idea. One awesome playoff doesn't make that any less true.)
To those who say Rocco lost the lead today, I'd just like to remind you that it's an 18 hole playoff, not a 17 hole playoff. Tiger had a lead he blew too. And standing on the teebox of a par 5 up by one stroke on Tiger Woods isn't that much of a lead anyway.
Still, for the first time since he burst onto the scene at the '97 Masters, I was disappointed with a Tiger Woods victory today. Rocco Mediate seems like such a good guy and I was rooting for him today. I was sort of surprised by how disappointed I was when he missed that putt on the 19th hole of the day. (Or maybe that was just my shivering, as I was soaking wet from running in a torrential downpour in between the 18th and 19th - I'll rant about that at some point later.)
Once this playoff went to a playoff, Rocco Mediate was assured of a place in history. Everyone will remember that Tiger Woods won this U.S. Open, but Rocco's name will be said in tandem with Tiger's every time the '08 Open is brought up. I'm sure that's little consolation today.

* After watching the first 15 holes from my favorite chair in my family room, I was forced out of my house after my Comcast digital cable cut out on me. Why my cable never cuts out during a lazy Saturday afternoon, I don't know. It always seems to go during Redskins games or important sporting events.
Instead of waiting around to become more infuriated, I sped to a Bethesda sports bar to watch the final four holes. I walked in with an older gentleman and we sat at a table, ordered a beer and talked some golf. My buddy Klinny joined us soon after.
Then, as the players were on the 18th green, the bar's DirecTV went out. We were in the dark. All the guys at the bar who had ditched out of work early were in an uproar. I called my cousin who gave us all the news that Tiger had made birdie to Rocco's par.
After that, everyone bolted into the torrential downpour to find another bar at which to watch the playoff. Klinny and I stumbled upon a new sushi place and settled in, soaking wet, to watch what would be just a one-hole affair.
You might think I'd be upset after such an ordeal but, all in all, it was a pretty great way to spend a Monday afternoon.