The Pressbox

I found myself rooting for Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open.

There is every reason in the world to like Rocco Mediate. He is funny, friendly and down-to-earth. It would have been a great story if he had won the title. It would have been great to see a guy who had toiled so long get his first major championship at the age of 45.

But as I watched Sunday’s final round and most of Monday’s playoff, I could not help rooting for Tiger. I know he can be kind of arrogant and boorish, but I enjoy watching him play. He makes the game look so easy.

I guess I am drawn to the historical aspect of it. We have the privilege to be watching perhaps the greatest golfer of all time in his prime.

And a quick word about the 18-hole playoff format for the U.S. Open. I hope they never change it. That is what makes the U.S. Open unique. And, on top of that, it is a much more fair way of determining the champion. You don’t lose the title on one bad shot or a terrible bounce.

Monday’s playoff round was a lot of fun.

Golf’s best players are being humbled by the tough conditions at the Masters.

Sometimes it’s fun to watch them struggle this way. It gives them a little taste of what I experience every time I step on a golf course. They are learning about the strange magnetic attraction my ball always seems to have to woods or water.

Would you rather see the golfers battling to make par or winning tournaments at 20 or 30 strokes under?