"It took DeBock five tries; the reporter finally found it on his 15th."

Not to dwell excessively on the U.S. Open with THE Open lurking, but several moments keep flashing before my eyes and none sticks out more than Tiger's putt on 18 Sunday. I remember looking at downhill putts here after learning that front right would be the likely location, and it just never looked like an easy putt to read with the slope coming off the bunker.

Well, Ed Zieralski reports that others have had that putt in mind and tried it out.

 A student of U.S. Open history with a terrific collection of memorabilia from past events, Torrey Pines head pro Joe DeBock was prodded by a reporter to return to the South's 18th green on June 18, two days after Woods beat Rocco Mediate in a thrilling 19-hole playoff.

Of all the putts Woods made during the Open, the reporter told DeBock he was most impressed with a 15-footer that had about eight inches of right-to-left break, which Woods gingerly jarred for birdie to tie Mediate after 72 holes of regulation. DeBock found the hole placement used for Sunday's final round, and he and the reporter took turns trying to make it.

It took DeBock five tries; the reporter finally found it on his 15th.

Comments

[Four-putt]

"It took DeBock five tries; the reporter finally found it on his 15th."

Lest we forget both guys had seen the replay of Woods' "make" and knew how the putt would break before they started trying.

4p

[Taylor]

Indeed........lest we forget. Good comment.

[Tom Ierubino]

This reminds me of all the stories over the years of people trying to replicate the 12-foot par putt on the 18th green at Winged Foot that Bobby Jones sank on the 72nd hole of the 1929 U.S. Open to force a playoff with Al Espinosa. Jones had a little easier time with Espinosa in their 36-hole playoff than Tiger did in his playoff with Rocco, winning by 23 strokes.

Tiger's putt is destined to live as long in U.S. Open lore at Jones' has.

[numbskull]

We're using scribes of questionable ability to determine the greatness of a major championship winner's putt? Two days later.

Slow news day.

Geoff, you can do better than this.

They should have tried to make the chip-in instead. Nothing beats a good deal in poker or a little luck on the golf course. (for those with poor reading skills I am not saying the 72nd hole putt was lucky, but then again, the maxim is, just as with hole-outs and aces "Skill gets it close, it needs luck to go and stay in")

Maybe there was a little luck with the 72nd, too. If Nicklaus had had Wood's "luck" he'd have what, 42 majors? :-)

[the anti-scribe]

Taylor says, 'Good comment'. That makes me guess he is also a scribe. And wonder if he had a shot.

[Jim Nugent]

numbskull, one of the "scribes" was the head pro at Torrey.

If Jack had Tiger's short game, he would have won 42 majors.

[KS]

Making that putt under all of that pressure? Amazing. Just flat-out "unbelievable" to quote Rocco. If I were faced with that putt, it probably would have a better chance of ending up in the pond than in the hole.

[golfboy]

unlike normal human beings, Tiger probably has a better chance of making the putt under the most difficult of circumstance than an attempt that means virtually nothing to him- although he certainly has a better chance either way than any normal human being.