Rocco Mediate has withdrawn from this week's Travelers Championship, a decision that comes only a day after he lost a play-off against world number one Tiger Woods for the US Open title.
Tournament director Nathan Grube told the Hartford Courant that organisers did ‘all we could’ to make it easy for Mediate to attend, including having a private jet bring the Pennsylvanian cross-country from California on Monday night.
Mediate did not give a specific reason for withdrawing, but the decision was almost certainly the result of his extended weekend at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
Woods forced the 18-hole play-off against Mediate with a clutch 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole during Sunday's final round.
Mediate led by a stroke on the final hole of Monday's play-off round, but Woods drew even to force a sudden-death showdown, and then went on to capture the title on the first play-off hole.
‘When the play-off went to Monday, obviously you think it's a very short week because he's playing in the pro-am Wednesday,’ Grube told the Courant. ‘Did I think he was going to withdraw? No. Am I shocked that he did it? No. I can see both.’
