The clubs in the bag of the U.S. Open runner-up
Watch the videos below to the right to see Rocco Mediate discuss the clubs in his golf bag during his runner-up finish at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
During (and following) the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, much has been made to foster the notion that Callaway Golf Staff Professional Rocco Mediate is The Everyman. And while that moniker may be a bit of a slight to a guy who has won five PGA Tour titles, it is true when it comes to the equipment he chooses to play. Mediate plays the clubs that many amateur golfers use and he makes no bones about his reasoning: “Why wouldn’t I want the forgiveness that these Callaway clubs offer?” he says.
Since he joined Callaway Golf more than a decade ago, Mediate has had a love affair with the X-Series Irons (he currently plays X-20 Irons) and the “different” club designs that Callaway Golf engineers have brought to the market over the years. Current examples of his love for revolutionary designs are the FT-i Squareway Woods and the Odyssey White Hot XG Sabertooth Putter. He has also been with the Company long enough to have played nearly every golf ball we’ve ever produced. He currently tees up the new four-piece Tour ix Golf Ball and uses the FT-5 Driver to pound it down the middle of the fairway. Hear what he has to say about his Callaway Golf equipment in the videos to the right.
In addition to the legions of new fans he made with his inspired play, Rocco's performance also impressed another Callaway Golf Staff Professional who had a very good view of the action at Torrey Pines.
"I was totally proud of Rocco. It’s one of the great stories in golf in last the 10 years. It was very courageous," said Johnny Miller, who served as the lead analyst for NBC's coverage of the U.S. Open. "He went about his game in such a nice manner, where people fell in love with him. Normally, I try not to sound like I’m pulling for someone but you couldn’t not pull for him. Rocco played wonderfully. It was a great finish to the championship. And if he had won, it probably would have been the greatest upset in modern golf."
Miller reported that when he mentioned Mediate's name at a charity tournament the day after the 18-hole playoff, the crowd stood up, yelling and applauding.
"People are nuts about Rocco. It’s hard not to like him right now," Miller added. "He had Tiger (Woods) rattled. All in all, it was probably the best U.S Open entertainment-wise in modern history. I don’t know how it could be any better. Rocco just wouldn’t give in. Everyone can relate to him. He earned people’s respect. It was fun to watch. It was historical."