Reader essays: What will you remember about 2008?
For the last week, PGATOUR.COM has rolled out a series of essays with the central theme: What I'll remember about 2008. We also asked our readers to share their opinions, and you overwhelmed us with your responses. Below are the essays that we judged to be the best ones. To all of our readers who took the time to send in essays, please know that we read each one and greatly appreciate the effort and time you spent on them. It's always nice to see the passion that golf fans have for the PGA TOUR.
MEDIATE LOST THE U.S. OPEN, BUT HE GAINED AT LEAST ONE MORE FAN
The question of what was most memorable about the 2008 season is easy: Rocco Mediate at the U.S. Open. The thing about it was not how well he played or how well he held his own against Tiger in the playoff. It is how gracious he was about coming out without a victory.
Obviously, Rocco must have been disappointed, but he did not show it. Within milliseconds of Tiger making that putt to win, Rocco was the same talkative, outgoing, and funny Rocco that the players know him for.
Now we all know that any of us would barely be able to sleep for months and would be crying our eyes out after that hard-fought, second-place finish and almost Tiger beating. But Rocco? Nope. As seen in a picture recently on this Web site, it shows Tiger holding the trophy and Rocco joking around with him. Does he look disappointed? No. Does he look exhausted? Definitely. He said after Sunday that he was running on fumes, but he still put up a battle against Tiger that went into sudden death. And he still was able to be this gracious, and talk and joke with people afterwards.
This is very moving for me, being 12 years old and having played in 10 golf tournaments this summer. I was, I admit, not very gracious about my scorecard playoff loss for second place or my second-place finish, having lost by two strokes while double-bogeying my final hole. I was disappointed in myself after my reaction after seeing third written by my name, smacking my hands together and grunting loudly "Dang it!" in the middle of a crowd of people in my scorecard playoff loss.
So after thinking about this a lot this fall in Wisconsin, without being able to play golf, I have -- in my head -- vowed to be as gracious as Rocco was in his hard-fought, second-place finish.
So, in conclusion, I thank you Rocco for being so bold but gracious in your previous U.S. Open success, and for doing what will probably be life changing for me. -- Erik
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LIVING A BOY'S DREAM IS WHAT MAKES TIGER NO. 1
When I'm an old man in 20 years or so, and I look back upon the summer of 2008, I will remember many things. I will recall my high school graduation, moving away to college, and playing my last summer of junior golf, to name a few.
And when my thoughts turn to the world of professional golf, I will remember Torrey Pines. And I will remember Tiger.
I won't see him as a battered warrior, heroically grimacing after half the swings he took, playing five rounds of golf on a leg broken in two places compounded by a torn ACL. I won't see him as a man chasing destiny, nailing home yet another major championship to pull within four of Jack Nicklaus and his record of 18. And I won't see him as an idol to millions of people, golfers and non-golfers alike, who watch in awe as he does things with a stick and a ball that mortals are not supposed to do.
I will see him as a boy.
I will see a boy standing on the course he plays every day, with the sun setting and one final hole ahead of him. He tees up his ball and tells himself he needs one more birdie to force a playoff in the U.S. Open.
Every kid who has grown up playing golf this side of the Atlantic has played that hole a hundred times. They have to imagine the day that they will play it in front of tens of thousands of people, with scoreboards, TV cameras and sportswriters hanging on their every waggle.
Most never get the chance to do it for real. They eventually have to stop playing golf every day, get real jobs, and watch other men hit the shots with unimaginable money on the line.
But Tiger did get the chance. He grew up to become one of the greatest golfers to ever walk the earth. He has millions in the bank, a wife, baby and another on the way.
Most tournaments, let alone U.S. Opens, don't come down to one last hole. But this one did.
Beyond his knee, beyond the major tally, beyond his legend, Tiger had the putt. The one that everyone has hit on courses, putting greens, and hallway carpets around the country and around the world, for all the marbles.
And he made it. Twice. -- Nicholas Campbell
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WAS THERE A DOUBT THAT TIGER WOULD WIN BAY HILL? MAYBE
Was there any doubt ...?
Tiger Woods began the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard with an even-par 70, five shots behind the first-round leaders. But was there any doubt ...?
He was missing putts all over the place, and this continued all through the second round, when he shot a 2-under 68 to make the cut seven shots behind the halfway leaders. But was there any doubt ...?
He carded a 4-under 66 on Saturday to have a share of the lead. He already had a record of 42-3 when holding the lead after three rounds. So was there any doubt ...?
Woods was still tied for the lead with Bart Bryant when teeing off no No. 18, with Bryant making par in the group ahead and finishing with a 67, at 9 under for the tournament. But was there any doubt ...?
Woods played his tee shot into the fairway, then played an aggressive approach to the green on this treacherous hole -- guarded by water all across the right side, with rocks coming into play if the approach were either short or to the right. He brought it to about 24 feet of the pin, with a shot that was, according to him, "his best of the week." He had that 24-footer for birdie to avoid a playoff with the clubhouse-resting Bryant and to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the fifth time. And was there any doubt ...?
He lined it up -- a couple of practice swings, putter behind the ball, back and through, left-to-right break, slowing down but trickling in. With the 64th win on the PGA TOUR, Tiger tied Ben Hogan for an all-time third place in number of victories.
But the question remains: Was there any doubt in his mind that he could win it?
Judging from his reaction as the final putt went in -- throwing his cap to the ground, a tension build-up releasing through a roar, his eyes full of emotions as he watched his playing partner from the last round, Sean O'Hair, making his putt to finish tied for third -- I would say yes, there was.
Those are the gestures of someone who started badly, who was nearly out of contention, who had doubts of ending his victory streak on a sunny afternoon in Orlando, but who -- despite these doubts -- never lost hope. He rallied and managed to, if not surprise, then stun everyone who believed in him with another jaw-dropping performance.
It's a lesson to be learned, for doubt in oneself must never defeat hope in one's abilities and strength. -- Adrian Pirjolea
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WAS IT ROCCO OR ROCKY WHO TOOK ON TIGER?
It was supposed to be a walk in the park for one of the greatest golfers of all time. Tiger is No. 2 on the list of all-time major victories, and he is No. 4 in all-time victories. Eventually, Tiger will be No. 1 in all categories, barring any unforeseen injuries, as has played less than half of his career rounds of golf.
Meanwhile, his playoff opponent was not Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, or Arnold Palmer; it was a likeable guy named Rocco Mediate, a small-to-medium guy caught in the Tiger den.
I recall reading comments such as: "Rocco is a likeable guy, but he doesn't stand a chance." Fans were criticizing him for all the tourist pins on his Callaway hat and his peace sign belt buckle. Tiger Woods vs. Rocco Mediate appeared to be the biggest mismatch since Wood Chipper vs. Tree Branch.
Well, so much for the mismatch. Those shots during the playoff are stuff of legends, and Rocco's play was reminiscent of Rocky Balboa. Although Rocky didn't win this time, the match will still go down as one of the most entertaining in history. -- Walt Belinsky
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THE IRISHMAN OR THE AMERICAN: WHO SHOULD BE PLAYER OF THE YEAR?
Even with Tiger Wood's absence the past six months, once again we have reached the pinnacle of another incredible PGA TOUR season. Perhaps absence does make the heart grow fonder. Our focus now turns to Player of the Year honors.
Much of the talk for Player of the Year has centered on the aforementioned Woods, as well as Padraig Harrington for capturing two of the year's four majors. Though Woods' persona and pure overwhelming talent have guided the TOUR into the infant years of the 21st century, we would do well to draw our conclusion from comparisons in other arenas of life. Remember, this is Player of the Year honors stretched out over 12 months.
To plug the honors into financial jargon, in order to successfully withdraw this year's winner, one has to look at the deposits made. In this case, the number of tournaments played, tournaments won, (especially majors) and overall consistency. Harrington played in 12 events, winning twice (both majors) to Woods' six tournaments played and four wins (one major). Harrington finished behind Woods in the regular-season PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup points total yet topped Woods in scoring average. Winner in this category: Padraig Harrington.
Yet even though Woods was absent from the classroom six months due to reconstructive knee surgery, he still topped Harrington on the season-long money list. So Woods gets the nod there.
The tiebreaker? Someone had to rise out of the pack and make a serious challenge to Woods' stranglehold on the No. 1 player in the world rankings. Harrington did for a while but ran out of gas after his win at the PGA Championship. Instead, it's Sergio Garcia who ends the year ranked No. 2 in the world.
Winner and 2008 PGA TOUR Player of the Year -- against all odds -- Tiger Woods. -- Jay Barker
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AFTER ONLY HALF A YEAR OF TIGER, THE '09 COUNTDOWN IS TICKING
The 2008 golf season will forever be memorable for me -- for its beginning and for its ending.
Before this season started, I loudly told anybody who would listen, "Make sure that you watch every shot that Tiger Woods hits this year. You will be witness to the single greatest year by any athlete in history."
Bold words indeed, but I had a feeling. Tiger, true to form, did not disappoint. He made everything. He won almost everything he played.
Of course there was the disappointment of the Masters, where he finished second to Trevor Immelman, but after finding out that Tiger had been playing on one leg, I let it slide. Next up -- the U.S. Open. Back at the beginning of the season, when I told the world to watch every stroke that Tiger made, did I realize that this was what I was talking about?
I don't need to go into details here, but I feel sorry for any sports fan who did not witness the display of guts that ensued over those five days. To anybody that has ever questioned whether golfers are athletes, or whether Tiger is really that good, all I can say is "U.S. Open, Torrey Pines, 2008."
As usual, this time of year, I find myself counting down the days and weeks to the Masters, but today, my countdown feels more urgent. -- Steve Guinn
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