Rocco Mediate Bio
Rocco Anthony Mediate is an American professional golfer who has competed at the highest levels of the sport for more than four decades. Known for his flair on the greens, he has won six times on the PGA Tour and five times on the PGA Tour Champions. He is widely remembered for his dramatic playoff loss to Tiger Woods at the 2008 U.S. Open, one of the most memorable moments in modern major championship golf. He also captured the 2016 Senior PGA Championship, one of the senior game’s five major titles.
Mediate turned professional in 1985 after a distinguished amateur career and has remained a recognizable figure on tour, both as a player and as a television commentator. He is regarded as one of the best putters of his generation and has earned career PGA Tour earnings of more than $16 million.
Early Life and Background
Rocco Anthony Mediate was born on December 17, 1962, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. According to the Golf Channel, he is the son of a barber and has Italian ancestral heritage, which helped shape his colorful personality and fan-friendly image on tour. He grew up in the Pittsburgh area and attended Hempfield Area High School, where he first developed his lifelong passion for golf.
His early exposure to the game came through local clubs and junior competition in western Pennsylvania, where his natural putting touch quickly became apparent. Those formative years in Greensburg laid the foundation for what would become one of the most resilient careers in American professional golf, marked by both spectacular play and hard-fought comebacks.
Path to Professional Golf
Mediate took his game to Florida Southern College, where he played on the golf team and honed his competitive skills at the collegiate level. A close friend and fellow competitor, Lee Janzen, also played at Florida Southern, and the two helped lead the program to the 1985 Division II national team championship. That title marked the high point of Mediate’s amateur career and signaled his readiness for the professional ranks.
He turned professional in 1985, the same year as that team triumph, and set his sights on the PGA Tour. Drawing on the lessons of his college years, he quickly adapted to the demands of professional competition, even as early career back problems forced him to adjust his technique and equipment in order to keep playing.
Rocco Mediate Career
Early Career (1985–1995)
Mediate’s first notable PGA Tour victory came at the 1991 Doral-Ryder Open, where he made history as the first player to win on Tour using a long putter. That breakthrough was a defining moment in his early career and helped establish his reputation as an inventive, putting-savvy competitor willing to embrace unconventional solutions to stay competitive.
He picked up another win at the 1993 KMart Greater Greensboro Open, but his momentum was soon interrupted by a ruptured disc that cost him significant playing time. He underwent major back surgery in 1999 and lost nearly five years of competitive play, yet he returned to the Tour in 1996 playing under a special medical extension, where he performed steadily and proved his resilience.
Return to Form (1999–2007)
After improving his fitness to manage his back issues, Mediate returned to using a conventional putter in 2003 and recaptured his form on Tour. He posted wins in 1999, 2000, and 2002, and was consistently ranked inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking during this stretch. His play demonstrated that he remained a legitimate threat whenever his health allowed him to compete at full strength.
At the 2006 Masters, Mediate was in contention to win the event on the final day until a septuple-bogey ten on the par-three 12th hole derailed his bid. He rebounded emotionally, however, and on October 9, 2006, it was announced that he would become an on-course reporter for The Golf Channel’s 2007 PGA Tour coverage, expanding his role in the game beyond playing.
U.S. Open Breakthrough and Continued Success (2008–2012)
Mediate’s career-defining moment came at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines South Course, where he finished tied with Tiger Woods at one-under par after 72 holes. The two remained tied after an 18-hole playoff, and Woods finally prevailed on the first sudden-death hole, the 91st hole of the tournament, making it only the third U.S. Open playoff ever decided in sudden death. Mediate’s runner-up finish vaulted him 111 spots in the world rankings, from 158th to 47th.
In 2010, he captured the Frys.com Open, his first PGA Tour victory since 2002, beating Bo Van Pelt and Alex Prugh by one shot in a remarkable week in which he holed out all four days. He aced the 189-yard par-3 third hole on Thursday, holed out from 160 yards for an eagle on Friday, did the same from 111 yards at the par-5 15th on Saturday, and then holed a 116-yard eagle on the 17th on Sunday to take a two-shot lead before parring the last. He became the oldest wire-to-wire winner on the PGA Tour since at least 1970.
Champions Tour Era (2013–Present)
Mediate joined the Champions Tour in 2013 after turning 50, when his exemption from his 2010 PGA Tour win expired. He won in his debut at the Allianz Championship, becoming the 16th player to win in his first Champions Tour start, closing with a birdie at the last to beat Bernhard Langer and Tom Pernice Jr. by two strokes after a second-round 61. Later that year, he captured the Shaw Charity Classic by seven strokes over Tom Byrum, earning the Champions Tour Rookie of the Year award for 2013.
In May 2016, Mediate won his first senior major championship at the Senior PGA Championship, defeating defending champion Colin Montgomerie by three strokes with a record-setting 19-under-par total of 265. It was the first wire-to-wire victory at the event since Jack Nicklaus in 1991, sealed when he holed out from a greenside bunker on the 71st hole of regulation play for birdie. On September 22, 2019, he added a fifth Champions Tour title at the Sanford International in South Dakota.
Driving Style and Strengths
Mediate is widely regarded as one of the best putters in golf history, a reputation built through his willingness to experiment with long putters, conventional putters, and creative shot-making on and around the greens. His iron play, particularly from mid-range, has long been a strength, and his aggressive approach to scoring has produced some of the most memorable holed-out shots of his era, including the four consecutive hole-outs at the 2010 Frys.com Open.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his 2008 U.S. Open playoff with Tiger Woods and his 2016 Senior PGA Championship victory, Mediate reached the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking during his prime and earned PGA Tour career earnings of more than $16 million. He has also contributed to the game as an on-course reporter for The Golf Channel, expanding his influence in professional golf beyond tournament play.
Rocco Mediate Career Wins
Rocco Mediate has compiled 14 recognized professional victories, including six PGA Tour wins and five PGA Tour Champions wins, along with additional titles in other professional events. His career victories span more than three decades, highlighted by major championship success on the senior circuit and a series of memorable individual triumphs on the regular Tour.
PGA Tour Highlights
Mediate’s six PGA Tour wins include the 1991 Doral-Ryder Open, where he became the first player to win on Tour with a long putter, the 1993 KMart Greater Greensboro Open, the 1999 victory that marked his comeback from back surgery, the 2000 and 2002 wins that confirmed his resurgence, and the 2010 Frys.com Open. The Frys.com Open stands out as the most dramatic, with hole-outs on each of the four competition days and an historic wire-to-wire performance that made him the oldest such winner on Tour since at least 1970.
Champions Tour and Other Performances
His five PGA Tour Champions wins began with the 2013 Allianz Championship, won in his Champions Tour debut, followed by the 2013 Shaw Charity Classic, the 2016 Senior PGA Championship, and the 2019 Sanford International. He has also posted strong finishes across the senior majors and continues to add to his Champions Tour resume, reinforcing his standing as one of the most accomplished American players of his generation.
Rocco Mediate Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Mediate is the son of a barber and has Italian ancestral heritage, according to the Golf Channel. He is a distant cousin of Puerto Rico Islanders soccer player Domenic Mediate, a family connection that reflects the broader Mediate family’s athletic background.
Personal Life
Mediate is married to Jessica Mediate, his longtime spouse. The couple has made their home in Naples, Florida, where Mediate continues to base his Champions Tour career. He is a graduate of Florida Southern College, where he played college golf alongside future PGA Tour professional Lee Janzen.
2025 Season Performance
Rocco Mediate continues to compete on the PGA Tour Champions in 2025, drawing on more than four decades of professional experience. As a past senior major champion and five-time Champions Tour winner, he remains a respected presence in the field and a familiar name in the clubhouse of major Champions Tour events.
Throughout the 2025 season, Mediate has been a steady performer, relying on the putting skills and course management that have defined his career. While the physical demands of senior competition are significant, his experience in major championship golf and his comfort in high-pressure moments position him to remain competitive in select Champions Tour events throughout the year.
Looking ahead, Mediate’s 2025 campaign is expected to focus on selective Champions Tour starts, with the goal of contending in senior major championships and adding to his five Champions Tour titles. His longevity, putting pedigree, and major championship experience make him a player to watch whenever he tees it up in 2025.