2013 Constellation Senior Players: Kenny Perry and Rocco Mediate motivated by the Pittsburgh Pirates
May 22, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Rocco Mediate follows through on his tee shot on the 10th hole during practice day for the 74th Senior PGA Championship. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Pirates lead all of baseball in wins this season and with five consecutive sellouts, it feels as though just about everyone wants to help crowd PNC Park.
Among those in attendance for Friday’s win against the Milwaukee Brewers were Champions Tour golfers Rocco Mediate and Kenny Perry.
“It feels good to be hanging out with the best team in baseball and watching them play,” Mediate said. “They played beautifully and it was great to see. I haven’t been there in a couple of years and I took my fiancé and a couple of others, hung out and it was great.”
Going into the day Mediate was one over par while Perry was two under par when play was suspended. Both have shot lower to the point that Perry is now at -13 for the tournament and in the final group. The question is did the Pirates win inspire Perry?
“Everybody saw me last night, I was in row 2 right behind the umpire so everybody kept calling and saying, ‘I see you at the game, I see you at the game’,” Perry said. “So I was inspired by the Pirates.”
Watching the Pirates allowed Mediate who is now two under par for the tournament to remember where he came from.
“I love where I’m from; I love Pittsburgh, I love Greensburg and the people here, we’re just tough,” Mediate said. “I talked to a lot of people that I knew and people I don’t know. I love this town so it’s great to be back.”
Joe Daley doubtful to repeat
It was just a year ago when Joe Daley outlasted Fred Couples and Mark Calcavecchia to win at Fox Chapel last year, but this year at one under par, his reign as defending champion will last for one more day.
Despite this Daley still is enjoying the course and gave fans a treat when he nearly holed his third shot on the par 5 18th hole.
“I was trying to make it,” Daley said. “I had 93 yards and a sand wedge would have spun off the green, so I had to hit my other gap wedge a little easier. I judged it right and got it to six inches.”
One of the perks of winning the Constellation Senior Players is a berth in The Players Championship, which is often referred to as ‘the fifth major’ on the PGA Tour. Daley did not fare well at TPC Sawgrass missing the cut after shooting +11 after two rounds.
“That place beat me up and slapped me down hard,” Daley said. “I didn’t drive it particularly well so if you don’t drive it well on that golf course, it’s tough.”
Still he enjoyed the course and recommended it to anyone who could play.
Daley will tee off with Chien Soon Lu and Bruce Vaughan from the first tee at 8:20 tomorrow.
Of note: Russ Cochran withdrew from the Constellation Senior Players after his eighth hole of play in the third round due to a wrist injury. He was -4 for the tournament.