Courtesy: latimes.com

What a fool. Me. To predict that Tiger Woods couldn't win the U.S. Open because he'd had knee surgery and hadn't played competitively for two months.

I hereby give up making ridiculous predictions involving Mr. Woods.

I may also never again dismiss someone like Rocco Mediate, a golfer who's better than a journeyman but hasn't had a regular role on tour for several years because of back injuries and who had to qualify to be able to play at Torrey Pines.

Put those two men side by side. More particularly, put their characters side by side.

Woods battled through sharp, stabbing pain on every full swing but remained so focused that he was able to make the putt that got him into the playoff and then make the putt after 19 more holes that won him the title. We are growing used to Tiger overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, obstacles that demand tremendous mental strength.

Then there's Mediate, who hasn't won a PGA event since the 2002 Greater Greensboro Open and has always been dogged by back pain. He ruptured a disk in 1993, underwent major back surgery in 1999 and was hobbled for nearly five years after that. In fact, his back pain nearly ended his career several years ago. So here's a guy who hasn't played more than 17 tournaments this season and he's in contention to win the U.S. Open.

Yet he, too, demonstrated tremendous mental strength in the face of Tiger's presence, something that has seen lesser golfers - yes, even the world number two - pale and fall away.

But Mediate didn't pale and fall away. Anything but. His determination to win matched that of Tiger's. They both fought tooth and nail, often I suspect with themselves, to hoist the trophy.

Woods was the official victor and he deserved it. But I declare Mediate the victor, too because he played the kind of golf that wins majors. For five rounds. And he wasn't supposed to.

When the game of golf meets strength of character and they shake hands on the first tee, great things happen. We witnessed one of the finest U.S.Opens in history for that reason alone.