Rocco Mediate is the star attraction of the New Zealand Open, and a remarkably engaging character. Sports editor Hayden Meikle meets the American golfer.
A new wife, a honeymoon in the Bahamas, more than $US16 million ($NZ19.2 million) in career earnings, and now a fun week in one of world golf's most lovely settings.
Not a bad life for a 51-year-old, and the broad smile on Rocco Mediate's face suggests he appreciates everything he has got.
The American veteran is the star attraction of the revived New Zealand Open in Arrowtown and was unveiled to the media yesterday.
Mediate grinned, joked and laughed, and said all the right things about how excited he was to be at The Hills, despite having had limited time to have a look around.
But, naturally, it did not take long for the line of questioning to turn to THAT tournament.
''I know it was somewhere in Southern California, a few years back, and some guy beat me,'' Mediate deadpanned.
''He supposedly had a broken leg. He seemed fine on Monday.''
In 2008, Mediate nearly won his first major, the US Open at Torrey Pines. He played out of his skin. He had the clubhouse lead when he completed his four rounds. He nearly won a remarkable playoff that stretched to 19 holes.
The problem was that ''guy'' was one Tiger Woods, who refused to go away and ended up winning, playing through the agonising pain of two stress fractures in his leg.
The man with the name straight out of The Sopranos was destined to be remembered for one of the great second places in the history of golf. And that is fine with Mediate.
''That was a very important day. I loved it all. I remember it all. It was an amazing week.
''It was one of the coolest things ever. Obviously I don't have the trophy. I covet that the most, our Open. But I've said it a million times and I'd be happy to say it again: if I had bogeyed the last three holes on Sunday or bogeyed the last three holes on Monday to lose, I probably wouldn't be sitting here. Those things destroy careers but I didn't do that.
''I played my butt off and got beat by insanity. What Tiger did, it was ridiculous. I kept looking at him and was like, `What is your problem?'.
''You don't ever get shocked with that guy because the greatest players ever do the greatest things ever in the most amazing circumstances.
''They asked me about the putt that he hit to get in the playoff and they said, 'How could that putt have gone in like that?'. I said, 'Because he hit it'.''
Mediate joked he had not had a Christmas card from Woods, who has not won a major since that US Open.
Failing to get a major win himself hurt for a while, Mediate acknowledged. But the six-time PGA Tour winner, who has now won twice on the Champions Tour for golfers over 50, does not look back in anger often. He prefers to reflect on winning the Frys.com Open two years later.
''That was the biggest moment of my entire career because I didn't want to end my career - if I had to end it - on that last thing [the US Open].''
Mediate, who has recovered from a hip injury, has practised at neither The Hills nor Millbrook but hopes he can play well enough to contend for the New Zealand Open.
''I didn't come just to hang. There's no excuses. I feel fine and I'll be ready to go.''
He has been paired with a similarly loquacious amateur, television personality Mark Richardson, for the first two rounds. Describing himself as ''nightmare'' for amateur partners, Mediate was nevertheless quick to praise the pro-am format.
''You can't screw me up, only I can. I love that part. There will be a lot of talking and fun. That's what it's all about.''
Mediate and wife Jess plan to stay in the Queenstown area for a few days after the tournament.
NZ Open: Groups to watch
7.52am (tee 1, Millbrook): Daniel Popovic/Ricky Ponting and Mark Brown/Stephen Fleming.
7.52 (tee 10, Millbrook): Rocco Mediate/Mark Richardson and Michael Hendry/Rod Duke.
8.25 (tee 10, Millbrook): Peter Wilson/Justin Marshall and Nathan Holman/Andrew Mehrtens.
