These guys had a real shot at it

Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open victory included some amazing shots, particularly during Saturday’s back nine, when he chipped in on the 17th hole. It brought back memories of another chip-in on a 17th hole during a U.S. Open -- one by Tom Watson during the final round in 1986 at Pebble Beach.

A picture of Watson making that shot is on the cover of a recently published book by FSN sports anchor Barry LeBrock, “The Front Nine: Golf’s 9 All-Time Greatest Shots.” Watson’s broke a tie with Jack Nicklaus.

In the book, LeBrock writes that golfer Bill Rogers, who ended up in a tie for third, four strokes behind Watson, said: “You could take 100 balls and toss them by hand from where he was and not make a single one of them.”

Said Nicklaus: “Make it 1,000 balls.”

Trivia time

After the chip-in, how did Watson fare on the 18th hole?

Arnie’s blast

LeBrock also writes about the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills in Colorado and Arnold Palmer’s tee shot on the 346-yard, par-four first hole to start his final round.

The day before, Palmer had lunch with Ken Venturi, golf writer Dan Jenkins and Bob Drum of the Pittsburgh Press. Palmer was seven strokes back with a three-round total of 215.

“What if I shot 65?” Palmer asked them. “That would put me at 280.”

Said Drum: “280 won’t do you one damn bit of good.”

That comment angered Palmer, and he was still steaming the next day when he blasted his first tee shot onto the green. He missed a 25-foot putt for eagle but made six birdies in his first seven holes.

LeBrock writes, “Palmer was collecting birdies as if he was starting his own personal Audubon Society.”

Palmer shot 65 for his 280 and a two-stroke victory over an amateur named Nicklaus.

Rocco rocks

Rocco Mediate took Woods to the 19th hole -- no, not the lounge at Torrey Pines Lodge, but rather the first sudden-death hole after Monday’s 18-hole playoff.

Mediate might have lost, but he won over a lot of fans. Mike Downey of the Chicago Tribune described Mediate this way: “A genial 45-year-old lug with a receding hairline from Greensburg, Pa., a couple of long irons’ distance from Latrobe, the hometown of equally nice fellows like golf’s Arnold Palmer and TV’s Fred (Mister) Rogers.”

Punch line

Because of his first name, several reporters covering the Open -- The Times’ Chris Dufresne among them -- equated Mediate to Rocky Balboa of “Rocky” movie fame.

The connection wasn’t lost on the Tribune’s Downey, either.

“Apollo beat Rocky,” read Downey’s column lead, referring to Apollo Creed.

“OK, so that was a Sylvester Stallone story,” Downey continued. “That was boxing, not golf.

“But that’s what it felt like here Monday -- the champ, Tiger Woods, hanging on to beat an outclassed but all-heart challenger, Rocco Mediate, who had him on the ropes and took him the distance.

“Yo, Rocco, you almost did it.

“Their fight went five long rounds and a little extra. Rocky got off the last shot of the last round and nearly KO’d the champ with it. He couldn’t land it, so he lost.”

Trivia answer

Watson made a 20-foot birdie putt to beat Nicklaus by two strokes.

And finally

After that 1986 Open, when Nicklaus was asked if there was one shot he would have played differently, he said: “Yeah. Watson’s chip-in on 17.”

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larry.stewart@latimes.com