Q&A with Mediate: The guy who came in second

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Rocco Mediate was one major runner-up who will not be forgotten.

Rocco Mediate, who grew up in Pennsylvania, is one of Arnold Palmer's biggest fans. That's why playing in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard means so much to him.

Mediate sent a hand-written note to Palmer asking for a sponsor's exemption for this year's renewal at Bay Hill. The five-time PGA TOUR champ was one of 19 players who received an invitation.

"I would once again love to play in your tournament," Mediate wrote. "I tried so hard to make you proud last June at the U.S. Open. I hope to have another opportunity to do so at Bay Hill."

At Torrey Pines last summer, Mediate earned a legion of fans as he took Tiger Woods to the 19th playoff hole before succumbing to the game's No. 1 player. The victory was the 65th of Woods' career and his 14th major.

"They say that nobody remembers who finished second in a golf tournament," Palmer said. "I don't think that will be the case with the 2008 U.S. Open and Rocco Mediate."

Woods had season-ending knee surgery the week after the U.S. Open. He returns to defend his Arnold Palmer Invitational title this week, and this will be the first time Woods and Mediate have competed in the same tournament since their duel at Torrey Pines.

PGATOUR.COM asked Mediate to reflect on the U.S. Open and look ahead to the rest of the 2009 season.

PGATOUR.COM: Talking about memories, is there one that stands out the most for you?

MEDIATE: The first tee on Monday. You never forget the noises and sounds and people. There were 25,000 people on the fairway. It was silly. It was unbelievable.

PGATOUR.COM: Obviously, the fans still talk about it. Is there any one particular funny story ... ?

MEDIATE: Oh, God, there's a million stories. Just where people were, what they were doing, shopping malls and bars and restaurants and in the car and on airplanes. It was insane. I still hear five, ten a day, somebody says something to us. It's unbelievable.

PGATOUR.COM: What's the strangest place you've been cornered to talk about it?

MEDIATE: Everywhere. Every airport, every Starbucks, every restaurant, every oh, wait, the other day ... we stopped and got some rice and beans at Popeye's Chicken, and ... I opened the door for (this guy). He goes, "Oh, my God, I can't believe you're opening the door." It just really opened up a lot of people for golf I thought.

PGATOUR.COM: How humbling is it? It's almost like you won the U.S. Open.

MEDIATE: It's funny, some people actually think that. I have a little medal; I don't have that big old trophy, though, unfortunately. It was cool what it actually did. People have been waiting for that type of deal for a long time, I guess, and they got it.

PGATOUR.COM: Speaking of the fans, you obviously know you're a fan favorite at Bethpage Black. Just talk about the excitement of looking forward to going there in June.

MEDIATE: Yeah, I loved Bethpage last time we were there, whenever that was, '01 or '02. It's a great golf course. Opens are the hardest part of our sport, really, I think. You never know if you're going to play well there. It's just a matter of all U.S. Opens are about is driving the ball. That's it.

PGATOUR.COM: You have five PGA TOUR wins. How does the second at the U.S. Open compare to a trophy?

MEDIATE: I don't know if I can ever get in that situation. I don't ever think I could ever feel as good about a situation during the whole day if I were to win a major or something, I don't know if it's going to be better than that feeling of playing with and against Tiger for the Open. I'd like to find out if it's going to be better than that, but I don't know, it was just unbelievable. I'll never forget anything. I'll remember the whole day.

PGATOUR.COM: What did it tell you about yourself?

MEDIATE: Well, it's like I was telling everybody, I got to test what I have under the most intense and coolest circumstances you could ever ask. I got the ultimate examination, the U.S. Open playoff with Tiger. It doesn't get any better than that.

Looking back throughout the day that day, everything I've worked on, I get to find out everything I've worked on my whole life, if it works, and it did. I would have liked for it to be one shot more, but it worked. I really kept looking up going, that's where I was looking and that's where I wanted the ball to go. You look at it that way and say, I got beat, but I didn't beat myself. I didn't bogey the last three holes or whatever, one of those horror stories you hear all the time. That didn't happen. I just got out and played.

PGATOUR.COM: Do you think you'll ever get tired of talking about it?

MEDIATE: Not really, because it was just part of the deal. I don't know, I love it. I still think of it a lot, and ... I've got a lot of good memories. Yeah, I wanted to win. I had my chances, and he was one better. But I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

PGATOUR.COM: How about some goals you've set for yourself this year?

MEDIATE: I just want to remain healthy and do what I'm doing, just work on the same thing, putting, putting, putting, putting, putting.

PGATOUR.COM: And lastly, what would make '09 a success for you?

MEDIATE: That's a good question. I definitely would love to win. That would be really cool, because I know I still have it in me. I know I have it in me. Whether it's a major or not, I don't really care. But I think I have that in me.

I get to go back to Augusta National. It would be nice to have a good week there because the last time I was there, I don't have very many good memories about it because that's when I really got hurt.

Just to play healthy the whole year, that's about it. The rest will take care of itself.