Knee surgery to keep Mediate from returning to Torrey

Rocco Mediate, Tiger Woods' antagonist in last year's U.S. Open, was ready to return to the scene of his greatest near miss, Torrey Pines GC, for this week's Buick Invitational. Instead he'll miss the tournament for the same reason as Woods: a bum knee.

One day after finishing T-35 at the FBR Open at TPC Scottsdale, Mediate had surgery at the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group to dislodge a bone chip from the posterior meniscus in his right knee. "I had everything where I wanted it going to Phoenix," said Mediate, who first hurt the knee in July 2007. "The knee just decided to go [out] Tuesday [in Scottsdale]. I can hardly walk."

Mediate hopes to return to the PGA Tour for the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Feb. 19, where he is scheduled to speak at The Traditions Dinner at Bel-Air CC, where he is a member.