The U.S. Open lived up to all it was supposed to be, the return of Tiger and the feel-good story of Rocco Mediate.

Tiger’s victory over Rocco did come with a price. Tiger is now done for the season and must have some more surgeries to repair his knee. The question that everyone asks now is will a new star emerge or will Phil Mickelson take over as the new Tiger?

These are very good questions, and I am sure everyone has their opinion, so here is mine.

I hope that some new stars appear. Guys like Boo Weekley, Brandt Snedeker and a host of others can win each week. Professional golf will not fade away just because Tiger has to sit out. It just means that more players now will have a better opportunity to win. The Ryder Cup team now must really come together and show that American golf does not just rely on one player to carry the flag.

Let’s get back to the U.S. Open and talk about what a great tournament it was. You have your exempt players and then you have your qualifiers. Rocco Mediate was a qualifier who almost pulled off the upset of beating the No. 1 player in the world.

I have tried to qualify for the Open a few times (obviously when I was younger) and got as far as the Sectional qualifier, only to miss. To qualify for the Open would be the ultimate dream for any golfer. Remember the movie “Tin Cup” and the character Roy McAvoy, played by Kevin Costner?

Although Tiger may not have been 100 percent, Rocco played some awfully good golf. When most opponents get paired against Tiger in that setting, they usually fade like a bad pair of jeans, but Rocco said something that really all golfers should heed: In the playoff, he was going to be himself and not deviate from who he is or what he is.

He was still going to talk, and he would know when would not want to talk. What the average player should learn from this is that if you get paired with or are invited to play with a top amateur or your local PGA professional, don’t change your game or your personality to suit the situation. Be yourself and remember that golf is a game of a lifetime.

Jeff Schroeder

PGA Head Professional

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