Just days after his heroic triumph at the U.S. Open, overcoming the pain of a brutal knee injury to win in 91 holes of golf, Tiger Woods was again battling for another victory. This win came at a Santa Monica area Starbucks where Woods showed up early in the morning following his announcement that he would need season-ending knee surgery, where Tiger was after a frappucino. When he came in, the capacity crowd of 23 all were wondering whether Tiger possessed the mettle necessary to overcome the knee and make a successful drink order. His dedication to getting the frozen coffee beverage was put to the test early on, as he stood behind a line of 5 other patrons, including one who had a complicated order for the whole office that took about 15 minutes to fill. We've all seen lesser men simply walk out when faced with such a daunting line, and those are men without horrific injuries.

But Tiger kept it together, vowing to himself that nothing would stand in his way of getting a caramel mocha frappucino. When he got to the counter, it was obvious that he was in some pain as he limped up to talk to the barista. The crowd erupted when not only did he order a frappucino, but a venti frappucino, which is the largest size in the crazy made-up Starbuckian language. A lesser golfer would have been content there, but Woods even added whipped cream to the top of his beverage, adding a brutal .12 ouncesof extra weight. When you are battling a knee problem, every little bit just adds on to the pain.

After receiving his drink the real test of his resolve was on, as he made his way to the condiment counter where he twisted and contorted his body to grab sugar and sweetner. His face grimaced as he bent for some half and half, and everyone could see the torque being put on the knee. But in the end he was able to walk out of that Starbucks with the beverage of his choice, a true testament toall athletes who rise above their own pain to perform for the fans. It may just be the greatest drink order of hil illustrious career.

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Rocco Mediate, the 45 year old who tied Tiger Woods on Sunday to force an 18-hole playoff yesterday, looked to be in prime position to score one of the greatest upsets of all time. He went toe-to-toe with Tiger for all 18 holes and was even winning by one stroke up until the 18th, when Tiger made birdie to tie it up again. The game then went to sudden death and everyone was braced for a tense couple of holes, but on the very first hole Mediate collapsed with an actual case of sudden death. It was a very anti-climactic end to the engaging contest, but Tiger fans in attendance were still pleased with the result. "I've been a Tiger fan forever, and we've seen him do about everything," said Jake Green, a Woods fan who came all the way from Texas to watch the tournament. "But now I can say I was there when he killed a man through sheer golf skill. What an amazing performance."

Woods offered his sympathy to the family of Mediate. "I want them to know how sorry I am about what happened. When you are this great at the game of golf, sometimes you forget your own power, the power that can only be fueled by the new Gatorade Tiger flavor. After accidentally killing a few putting instructors when I was a teenager, I vowed I would never kill with golf again. But, the U.S. Open brings out the competitor in me, and I had to take him out with my A-game. An A-game, that is only possible through the innovations of Nike brand golf equipment. I think this championship cup they gave me opens on top, and I'd be willing to put the ashes of Rocco in here, if his family wants. He can then rest in my trophy case, and hopefully when they visit I will be able to find him amongst the hundreds of other trophies I have in there. I think that would be a poignant dedication to his memory. A memory best captured with Nikon digital cameras and accessories."

SportsComedian.com
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