Bob Harig

  (11:29 AM)

Hello everyone. Welcome to an extra day of golf at Torrey Pines. I'm here for a short chat to get us going before the Tiger Woods-Rocco Mediate playoff. Fire away with a few questions.

Tom D Smith - Centerville, Ohio

A win today by Tiger Woods will make him the "First" Golfer to have won all four majors three times each. What are the odds of doing that, let alone hold the "Tiger Slam" Title? Needless to say History will him "The Grand Slam Tile" if he doesn't do it on his own before age 36.

Bob Harig

  (11:30 AM)

Actually, Jack Nicklaus has won all four majors at least three times. Tiger would join him. Given that there are only five total -- Jack, Tiger, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan -- who have won all four in a career, to do it three times is difficult to wrap your arms around.

Torrey Pines ((San Diego))

Bob, just wanted to remind you that you said -4 would be the winning score. I would never let that happen.

Bob Harig

  (11:31 AM)

Thanks for reminding me. I was a little off! But at least I was correct in saying somebody would be under par. I said a few players. It turned out to be two. And Torrey turned out to be quite the test.

Ben (Lansing MI)

Will the course play closer to the 7400/7500 yards played the first 3 days or closer to the 7200 yards played yesterday?

Bob Harig

  (11:32 AM)

According to the USGA folks, it's going to be closer to the set up that they had on Sunday, which was around 7,280 yards. They might stretch it a bit, but not much.

Chris (Greenville, SC)

18 hole playoff on Monday?? Surely the USGA realizes it's a bad idea. It would have been great to watch a four-hole playoff last night! When will they fix this?

Bob Harig

  (11:33 AM)

It's the subject of great debate, although the USGA seems fine with this format. Every other golf tournament goes to some sort of playoff immediately following, including the oldest of them all, the British Open. It would have been cool to see them play last night.

Fred Nyulasy

If ESPN is covering the front nine today, who is covering the back nine in today's playoff round

Bob Harig

  (11:34 AM)

NBC will have the coverage after ESPN

Chris (Chicago)

If Tiger gets off to a good start today actually is that bad news for Rocco? I am sure Rocco is counting on Tiger to start out slowly as all 4 other days.

Bob Harig

  (11:34 AM)

A good start for Tiger is bad for Rocco because Tiger is usually very good at playing defensive and conservative golf when he gets the lead. But as we have seen, he has started very poorly on this course.

jason islamabad pakistan

do you think rocco can have any chance again tiger

Bob Harig

  (11:35 AM)

Jack Fleck beat Ben Hogan in a playoff, so Rocco has a chance, certainly. He's played steady and he seems to have the right temperment.

Al Steiner in Kalispell Montana

Does it make any sense for Tiger to compete in the British? It would seem he has seriously aggravated the injury and will need at least 6 weeks to recover after the US Open.

Bob Harig

  (11:37 AM)

It's all speculation at this point. It is obvious that the recovery has been slower than we were led to believe. And is it more serioius than that? We really don't know. I would be stunned if he played between now and the British Open.

Jay, Deerfield, IL

It seemed to me that Tiger's knee hurt really bad on every bad shot. I did not see a lot of pain when he made the putt on 18. It looked a bit melodramatic to me, a little like he was setting up an excuse, or making himself look overly "heroic" if you can use that term for a golfer...

Bob Harig

  (11:38 AM)

I've seen and heard this argument from others, and I have a hard time buying it. Why would he fake an injury? We know he had surgery, we know he didn't walk a full 18 holes until Thursday. And certainly the pain goes away when you make a putt like that.

Randy C. Trim: Greensboro,NC

When was the last play-off at the US Open?

Bob Harig

  (11:40 AM)

2001: Retief Goosen defeated Mark Brooks.

Todd from Maryland

Do you think it makes sense for Tiger to even use driver today when all he has to do is make pars and let Rocco make the mistakes? It seems to me 3 wood would be the safe play for him today.

Bob Harig

  (11:41 AM)

It's an interesting theory, except he's just as apt to miss fairways with a 3-wood if things are not going well. The good news for Tiger is he can see what his competition is doing and adjust.

Quinn( Fayetteville, AR)

If they are tied at the end of this 18, will they go into a hole by hole elimination?

Bob Harig

  (11:42 AM)

Yes, if they are tied after 18 holes, then it goes to sudden death.

Adam, Toronto

Most important question of them all: Is Tiger going to sport the Sunday Red for the Monday playoff?

Bob Harig

  (11:42 AM)

Tiger is wearing red today. . . so is Rocco.

Ed (Cleveland, Ohio)

I am new to this type of format. If one of the guys is ahead by 5 or 6 with 2 left to play will they really play out or can one player conceed after so many holes?

Bob Harig

  (11:42 AM)

No, it is not match play. Everything must be putted out through the 18th hole.

Mary Ann Godwin, Durham, NC

Will the playoff be televised anywhere? I can't find a thing. Live in N.C. Is there any site you can look at it on-line?

Bob Harig

  (11:44 AM)

ESPN has the telecast starting at Noon ET, followed by NBC at 2. . . You can get it at espn360.com also.

Mike (SoCal)

Tiger mentioned yesterday he was taking some stuff to deal with the pain. Does the PGA have any issues with particular pain killers or is the sky the limit with what he can take?

Bob Harig

  (11:45 AM)

It's an interesting question, I don't know the answer specifically but in two weeks, the PGA Tour begins drug testing. I'm sure pain killers are not banned, but at the moment, nothing is.

Bobby: (New York, NY):

Does anyone else find it highly annoying/ridiculous that the U.S. Open's playoff is 18 holes and taking place on a Monday at noon? I watched in suspense all weekend and now I'm not even going to get the chance to watch the conclusion! What is that? Tiger finished yesterday at 6pm Pacific time. Why do they need an 18-hole playoff? They should have had a 3-hole playoff last night at the conclusion of regulation. Am I wrong about this?

Bob Harig

  (11:46 AM)

Many share your view. They schedule it at noon to give everyone a fighting chance of getting out of here today.

Ben (New York)

Some of our offices block espn360.com for obvious reasons. Is it on usopen.com like the first two rounds?

Bob Harig

  (11:47 AM)

I believe it is on USOpen.com as well.

Doug (Rustburg, VA)

What do you think are the chances that Tiger's knee will never be "right" again & it's something he's just going to have to adjust to?

Bob Harig

  (11:47 AM)

It is very possible that he will be dealing with this for the rest of his career.

Hoppy (Luck, WI)

Hey Bob, who you got today?

Bob Harig

  (11:48 AM)

I'll go out on a limb and pick Tiger. I know. . . so brave.

Casey, Oxford, UK

I heard several comments - including one from Hank Haney - that Tiger's knee is worse when he tries to hit the cut shot he uses in pressure situations. Did you notice that? And if so, should Tiger just be more aggressive all day long and take his chances?

Bob Harig

  (11:50 AM)

Hank did say that and it's interesting because it takes away a safety shot. Not sure if he should just go all out though. He needs to play as the conditions dictate.

Westerville, OH

will jason sobel blog during the playoff?

Bob Harig

  (11:50 AM)

Yes, check it out, he'll be blogging during the entire playoff.

Dave / Virginia

Last week we kept hearing about how treacherous the rough was. Tiger spent a lot of time in it, but never seemed to have a buried lie. Is that because of the crowd having trampled down the grass so much, or just lucky positioning?

Bob Harig

  (11:51 AM)

There were some instances when Tiger's shot was so far from the fairway that he was playing from where the fans had been standing.

Keith (MD)

Why does everyone call it a cut shot for him but for everyone else it is a slice?

Bob Harig

  (11:52 AM)

Because there is a difference. A cut is a controlled shot, a fade. A slice is more severe. That doesn't mean Tiger doesn't hit a slice once in awhile, too.

Andrew: Morgantown, WV

Bob, Rocco has made it through the weekend by hitting fairways and greens, and just playing his game. Do you think that he should do anything else today or should he just stick to the formula that got him here?

Bob Harig

  (11:54 AM)

Stick to what got him here. There is no other way. He has to play the course and hope it is good enough.

Keith Hoormann- St. Louis, Missouri

DO you think that the knee is as much of a factor as the media is making it?

Bob Harig

  (11:55 AM)

The media is making it a factor? I think Tiger has said it is sore, getting worse. And I have a hard time believing that he is faking it every time he hits a shot and winces.

Robert Olsen (Austin, TX)

How are the weather conditions today as compared to the other rounds? Will it play any significant factor at all?

Bob Harig

  (11:55 AM)

Very nice, sunny, seemingly less windy than it was in the afternoon yesterday. Should be a perfect day for golf.

Sean (Philly)

If Tiger had just laid up instead of following Westwood into the Aloe plants, would this all be moot?

Bob Harig

  (11:56 AM)

Possibly. It was an odd decision, knowing that he had the lead and that one of the prime contenders was in trouble. Tiger did say, however, that he was trying to hit a cut shut away from the hazard and actually hooked it -- the dreaded double cross.

Dave (Baltimore, MD)

Are they using the same pin placements as Sunday's final round, or are there special placements for a playoff?

Bob Harig

  (11:57 AM)

The pins are not the same, and neither are the tees, although the yardage for the course is similar.

Keith (MD)

Will you be walking the course today or watching on TV?

Bob Harig

  (11:57 AM)

I'm headed out there as soon as we are done here. Might as well watch history up close.

Brian (Newmarket, NH)

Do you think Tiger was surprised when Rocco came up to him after he made the bridie on 18? I don't see anyone else on tour doing that, especially Phil.

Bob Harig

  (11:59 AM)

I doubt it. Tiger and Rocco are friendly. I'm sure any player would have done the same thing. Seemed like the sporting thing to do.

Kyle, Brasher Falls, NY

You mention play the course, and the format is stroke play, but what influence can good or bad shots have on the other player knowing there is only one opponent? Will it be more of a factor on the back nine or closing holes?

Bob Harig

  (11:59 AM)

There's no question it is a factor. If you know your opponent is in trouble, or looking at making a bogey, you might be more apt to play it safe, especially if you have a lead.

Bob Harig

  (12:00 PM)

The playoff is about to get folks, so I've got to run. Thanks for checking in here for a little while. Enjoy the day!