After undergoing major back surgery that many feared would end his professional career, Rocco Mediate made a remarkable comeback in 1996 under a special medical extension.
13 years have passed since golf’s rule-makers outlawed anchored putting, yet Rocco Mediate remains unconvinced that the ban was necessary. The PGA Tour veteran used a long putter to win before sparking controversy in the anchored putting debate, and he believes the rule-makers introduced the change to address a problem that never truly existed.
The USGA and R&A, alongside the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, announced in June 2026 that the golf-ball rollback would no longer be phased in. Instead, the governing bodies set a single implementation date of January 2030, giving them more time to reassess the issue.
Rocco Mediate saved par on the second playoff hole to put away Bob Estes and win the Constellation Furyk & Friends on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. After a back-and-forth final round, 72 holes weren't enough to separate Mediate and Estes and they replayed the par-4 18th hole at Timuquana Country Club.
Rocco Mediate shot a 6-under-par 66 on Saturday to join Bob Estes atop the leaderboard after two rounds at the Constellation Furyk & Friends in Jacksonville, Fla.
Rocco Mediate put his own, personal spin on how he felt about the 9-under-par 63 that gave him a three-shot lead after one round of the Chubb Classic on Friday in Naples, Fla.
Long drives, pin-point tee balls on par 3s and those twisting, turning 50-foot putts are what drive the galleries crazy at professional golf tournaments, especially those of the major variety. But what about the approach shots?