Capelle On Golf

2008 US Open Coverage

Tiger vs. Rocco sounds like a heavyweight fight. Trouble is, this Rocco is, by most any measure, a lightweight. He’s one of the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour while Tiger, when he cranks it up, is one of the longest. Over his long career, which began in 1986, he’s won five tour events, about what Tiger averages in a single season. As for the majors, the 2008 US Open is his fourth top 10 compared to Tiger’s 13. So on paper this should be a mismatch.

Yes, this should be a complete slaughter, and it likely will be – but then again maybe not. We could have interesting contest if some combination of the following things happen: 1) Tiger’s knee bothers him to the point where he loses some of his effectiveness, 2) Tiger continues to give away strokes because of his crooked driving, 3) Rocco keeps playing the game that got him into a playoff, and 4) The USGA does not set up the course tomorrow so that it favors Tiger and his long ball.

If Rocco wins, he’ll have his first major and become the oldest winner of our nations championship. If Tiger wins, a zillion things will happen to the record books as they do with every win. The three biggest will be: 1) his fourteenth major, 3) his third career Grand Slam, and 3) his major winning streak will extend to four years.

The Odds
These are the odds in the playoff according to Ladbrokes. Best $7 on Tiger and his gimpy knee and you can win $2, or lose the seven.

Tiger Woods at 2/7
Rocco Mediate at 5/2

On paper make this match up is a 50/50 proposition considering that they played dead even for 72 holes. But through in the head-to-head with Tiger factor and things change mightily. Just ask Mike Weir, Luke Donald, Aaron Baddeley and others who have imploded when paired with Tiger when a major was on the line.