AVONDALE, La. – A roar went up from the 18th green at TPC Louisiana late on Friday at the Zurich Classic. Clearly, it was an eagle roar, but for whom was a surprise.
Rocco Mediate had drained a 24-foot putt for eagle to cap off a bogey-free second round of 7-under 65 to trail Jason Dufner by four shots heading into the weekend.
‘What? What’s such a big deal?’ Mediate joked after the round.
‘I haven’t put a 65 by my name in a long time,’ he said in a more serious vein. ‘I’m working my tail off. This was a huge sign.’
Mediate caddied for ‘Big Break’ winner Mark Murphy in the Monday qualifying tournament. Murphy returned the favor by helping him with his setup.
‘He squared me up a touch,’ Mediate said. ‘It’s been a lot better. I’ve driven most of the fairways, (hit) a lot of greens and my funny shots aren’t as funny as they used to be. Murph’s helped me a lot.’
Excited about the weekend, Mediate said he can play with abandon on a course that will require aggressiveness.
‘I don’t have a lot of expectations,’ he said, ‘but I know what I’m doing. I’ve been out here 27 years. I can still do it. I still want to compete with these guys.’