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New Haven Register:
Travelers Tourney Blog


Monday, June 16, 2008

Rocco Withdraws

U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate has withdrawn from this week's Travelers Championship.

Mediate had committed to the Travelers on Friday morning, following his opening-round 69 at Torrey Pines. That led Travelers tournament director Nathan Grube to believe Mediate would still play this week at TPC River Highlands, since Mediate committed even while knowing he'd likely be playing over the weekend at the Open.

But apparently, Monday's 18-hole playoff and one hole of sudden-death playoff were too taxing on Mediate.

"Did I think he was going to (withdraw)? No," Grube said. "But am I shocked that he did it? No."

But Grube insisted that, while disappointed in Mediate's decision, he understood it – and didn't believe it would have a traumatic effect on this week's tourney.

"Rocco would have been a nice addition, but there's another Rocco in our field," Grube said. "There's someone else that can come along, capture (the fans' hearts). I mean, that's the beauty of the PGA Tour. We can have a Rocco on Sunday. We had a Rocco last year in Jay Williamson. That's what's so unique about the tour."

Mediate informed the PGA shortly after his loss to Woods that he wouldn't be coming to Cromwell.

"It's just one of those things," Grube summed up. "We would have loved to have seen him, but I totally understand."

Other withdrawals: Ryuji Imada, Jeff Quinney, Fredrick Jacobson, John Merrick, Nick Watney, Rich Beem (on Sunday), Arron Oberholser (on Saturday) and Jesper Parnevik (on Friday).

--- DAVID BORGES
dborges@nhregister.com

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