It’s been a great U.S. Open week for me already. Attending the Monday playoff round with my brother Dave is simply icing on the cake.

In fact, it has been a great trip out to California for the U.S. Open. I stretched it a little bit coming into LAX and staying in Hermosa Beach with my nephew David the Thursday before.

Nothing like beach volleyball and watching the Lakers-Celtics playoff game during a West Coast happy hour. It brings back memories of Monday Night Football, West Coast style.

I used to live out here in the early 1980s and got together with my best friends over the weekend. Much has changed over the years, as the oldest ones approach 50 and there are kids all around ranging in ages from kindergarten to college and beyond.

But our friendship hasn’t changed much and picks up where we left it off a few years back. We did manage to get out to play golf and of course the one guy takes us to a course the rest of us never played and manages to eke out a victory, at least in his mind. I still haven’t confessed to kicking his ball into the green side bunker at 18.

This week at the U.S. Open was especially wonderful since I enjoyed it with so many close friends and relatives. I was able to get a job for another friend working for NBC Sports as a spotter.

On Monday I checked out the course with my nephew David. Then on Wednesday my nephew Stephen came in with me. Today, for the playoff, it’s my brother Dave.

Some people have to show up to work on Monday morning, even when they are the bosses. Others like me at this point in my life have to show up at the golf course for work, or in reality potential work, since I am still basically unemployed yet will never admit to it. That’s unemployed, not unemployable.

Sorry, as it is difficult to concentrate right now. The playoff is over and I am sitting on the Sun Coaster train heading north to LA. Directly to my left outside the window is the beach, the Pacific Ocean with waves crashing onto the shore.

At the last station stop I was literally on the beach with the Fisherman’s Pier right there. What a beautiful sight to see.

This is a nice train with electrical outlets and wireless Internet so that I can do my “work” while transporting.

The ticket was all of $18. At $4 a gallon, I could not have driven to Anaheim for less than the cost of a ticket. Maybe I am adapting to being green as I also drive a motorcycle too. Back to golf…

This week NBC had me stationed at the 16th tee where my job was to find out which club each golfer used on the par 3 hole. It was fun, and I literally got to see all the golfers competing in the 108th rendition of the U.S. Open.

But I did miss being assigned to a group and walking the whole 18 holes with the golfers. With the Monday playoff, now is my chance to walk the full 18 with Rocco Mediate and Tiger Woods competing to become the 2008 U.S. Open champion.

This will be a memorable day for my brother and I. Surely one our father would rejoice in it, as he was an avid golfer and brought all three of his sons into the game of golf and the way of life it promotes.

Dad passed in 1993, and surely this is a wonderful way to acknowledge him and celebrate Father’s Day in his memory. I got up at 6:30 a.m. and drove in with my brother from his home in Spring Valley. Traffic was light, so we made it to the course a little after 8.

I showed Dave around the NBC compound a bit and then we headed to the far side of the course to see Tiger and Rocco warming up on the driving range and putting green. As we walk past the 12, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 18 holes, Dave recalls vividly the hole locations and shots from Sunday’s round.

He and his wife were out on the course Saturday and I think he watched all 8 hours of television coverage on Sunday. He was there at the 13th green when Tiger made that unconscionable putt for eagle.

We get there just as Rocco is leaving the driving range heading for the putting green. It’s a little weird seeing only one player on the putting green.

He was sort of knocking it around and didn't seem to be putting all that well. I don’t know if it was because he was the only show in town to watch, so we saw all his misses, or he simply was not putting well.

I remember Steve Stricker getting some putting tips from his Wisconsin buddy Jerry Kelly on Wednesday. He was putting poorly so poorly thatI couldn’t watch it anymore and had to leave. Then when he came through 16 on Thursday he was 3-under after only playing 6 holes and birdied it to go to 4-under.

By Friday, when he came through almost 27 holes later, he was not doing as well.  He did make the cut, whereas his buddy Jerry did not. Maybe that is what friendship is all about? Help out your buddy even though he may beat you.

We go over and watch Tiger hit a few on the driving range. He looked good as he always does. He left and headed to the pitching green to practice his chips a little. I wonder if Rocco went there before the driving range? Either way, they both ended up stroking a few more putts together on the putting green.

Rocco left first heading to the first tee, then Tiger. When we went around the corner, it was Tiger emerging first to the first tee. A matter of courtesy or maybe Rocco had to check out the restroom first. If he did it was a quick No. 1.

There we were above the first tee listening to the introductions for the playoff of the 2008 U.S. Open between Rocco Mediate and Tiger Woods. Rocco hit first on the par-4 first hole and hits a nice driver down the left side of the fairway.

Tiger hit driver, too, and looked to be heading for the right bunkers when the ball cleared everything and landed safely in the fairway if just barely.

Rocco hits an awful approach shot that luckily dies in the right front bunker. A dad behind me tells his son to watch Tiger hit it “stiff.” The son inquisitively asked what does hitting it “stiff.” mean?

I thought to myself I really have no idea even though I used that terminology with my dad lots of time. I was interested in the father’s response.

When it came, I thought it was kind of lame. Stiff means hitting it close to the stiff flagstick? Does anybody have a better explanation than that? I am interested!

Tiger gets up and hits a decent shot but not “stiff” or exceptionally close to the flagstick or hole location. Rocco hits a decent sand shot but it releases and ends up 10 feet past the hole. He misses the side hill left-to-right putt.

Rocco bogeys the first hole. Tiger comfortably 2-putts from 25 feet. Tiger is one stroke ahead. Remember that this is a two-person medal playoff and not match play. Every stroke counts and the golfer with the lowest score at the end wins the U.S. Open trophy.

They both par the par-4 second hole. Tiger drives it into the left rough, misses the green short right, chips up and makes a 6-footer. Rocco hits the fairway but misses the green right and gets it up and down making a four-foot putt. Tiger still one stroke ahead.

Tiger hits first on the par-3 third hole and is inches short of carrying the front bunker. Instead of a birdie putt, he is confronted with a “fried-egg” lie in the bunker. Forced to severely blast it out of the sand, there is no spin on the ball and it rolls 15 feet past the hole.

Rocco hits a magnificent tee shot that almost goes in the hole stopping within tap-in range. Tiger misses his par putt. Two-stroke swing with Rocco birdieing the hole and Tiger bogeying it. Rocco has a one-stroke advantage.

The par-4 fourth hole magnificently follows the ridge of the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. Rocco hits left of the fairway but with a decent lie and hits a nice shot right at the hole. It is short of the back hole location and he is left with a 40-foot uphill putt.

Tiger is longer but also left with a poor lie. He muscles a low shot out of the rough trying to run it up the opening to the green. It goes left stopping short of the bunker in the rough.

He chips up and has a gimme for par. Rocco two putts. Two pars. Rocco retains his one-stroke advantage. I hear a guy yell “Rocco, win one for the ages.” Rocco is 45 years old.

On the par-4 fifth, Rocco bunkers his driver tee shot to the right. Rocco is relaxed talking to a USGA official on the tee. Tiger backs off his tee shot, hoping the MetLife blimp will pass by. It does. He hits it in the fairway on the left side.

Rocco goes first and hits a left left shot ending up the hill about 40 yards from the hole. No lucky gallery bounce. Tiger irons to 20 feet and 2-putts for par. Rocco hits an amazing flop shot, which means he is left with a 12-foot chip-putt. His miss results in a bogey. Match is even with both golfers are one over par after 5 holes.

Tiger has the honor on the par-4 sixth hole and hits driver into the fairway and hits it close to 7 feet with his approach shot.

Rocco hits the fairway but is long on his approach. The hole is front left in a bowl, leaving Rocco to contend with a large ridge to navigate with his chip shot. He does so magnificently and makes the 6 footer saving par. Tiger knocks in his putt for birdie to regain his earlier one-stroke advantage.

As we approach the seventh tee, I can see the big scoreboard on 18. It is full of numbers from the week’s play. I am surprised they are not tracking the hole-by-hole score of the playoff contenders.

There is an update of the match on the smaller scoreboard to the right. I see the MetLife blimp over head and wonder if it is out here today to advertise the “IF” in life, or rather the 2008 U.S. Open. Who will win when play concludes at No. 18 later this afternoon?

I also smile looking at my brother Dave realizing he is most certainly the only one “inside the ropes” wearing an Ely Park golf hat from the golf course in our hometown of Binghamton, N.Y. Sons are always thinking of their fathers.

Tiger takes it to Rocco again on the seventh hole. Drive in the fairway, nice iron shot carrying the bunkers and drains a 30-foot putt for birdie.

Rocco responds with a nice iron to 15 feet from the fairway but cannot hole the uphill putt. Woods is now 2 strokes ahead through 7 holes.

On the par-3 eighth hole, Tiger takes a huge divot. I think he hits it fat, but the ball winds up in the back bunker. He is not a happy camper. Rocco hits a nice shot and is just short right of the green.

Coming off the tee, he goes over to Isao Aoki who is doing the Japanese broadcast and chats with him for a few steps.   Tiger’s sand shot is heavy and the ball releases and runs off the front of the green quite close to Rocco’s approach shot.

I realize that although this playoff is not a match play situation there is indeed a mano-a-mano air to it like a chess match. Tiger is 2 strokes up, and it is as though Rocco has lost a significant piece like a rook or bishop, but not a queen.

They are both chipping from in front of the green, Rocco first, then Tiger. Rocco needs to seize the opportunity and capture back a stroke here.

Tiger has some powerful moves left, with three remaining reachable for Tiger par-5s. Whose king will remain in power after all is said and done this afternoon? Who will be hugging the U.S. Open trophy?

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