Rocco Mediate, born on December 17, 1962 is an American golfer with five PGA Tour wins under his belt. He was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, the son of an Italian barber. The American golfer turned professional in 1985.

Mediate started to play golf while attending Florida Southern University. He credits the help of friend and Champions Tour member Jim Feree for the improvement of his swing which landed him a spot on the PGA tour.

Mediate started to use long putters to compensate for his chronic back troubles early in his career. He won the 1991 Doral-Ryder Open using a long putter, becoming the first player in the history of the PGA Tour to do so. Two years later, in 1993 Mediate won the Kmart Greater Greensboro Open. This win was unfortunately followed by a long hiatus due to a ruptured spinal disc. He resumed playing on the Tour in 1996 under a special medical extension. The golfer underwent a scheduled surgical treatment in 1999, which allowed him to resume the use of a conventional putter in 2003. Unfortunately, Mediate’s back problems started to flare up again in 2004, a condition which nearly cost the American golfer his career.

Considered to be one of the best putters in golf, Mediate has been featured in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings.

His most recent tournament and best finish to date was the 2008 US Open where he lost his quest for the title after a 19th round sudden death match against Tiger Woods. This match with Woods moved Mediate from 158th to 47th place in the World Golf Rankings. Mediate currently resides in the Tuscany Reserve Subdivision in Florida with his wife and three kids.