Mediate fired a final round one-under-par 71 to win the Greater Greensboro Classic on Sunday, He finished at 16-under-par 272 and won by three shots over Mark Calcavecchia.
"Today I had nothing," said Mediate, who earned $684,000 US for the victory. "
I just felt bad out there. I didn't feel like I could put the ball where I wanted to because I didn't know what the wind was going to do."
Mediate hit just eight 14 fairways and missed half of the greens in regulation at Forest Oaks Country Club.
"It was just about survival," said Mediate, who averaged only 26 putts per round this week.
"This was ugly and I just kept going forward and going forward. That's what's most satisfying to me."
The win, Mediate's first since the 2000 Buick Open, was his second in Greensboro, making him the eighth multiple champion of this event.
"Winning twice here is cool because this is a really hard golf course," said Mediate, who beat Steve Elkington in a playoff to capture the 1993 GGC title.
"You've got to play good here, but today I kind of busted the odds. I think a lot of us did."
Calcavecchia never contended after the front nine and turned in a round of even-par 72. However, he did manage to once again write his name in the PGA Tour's record book.
Calcavecchia, who set the PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record with a total of 28-under-par 256 at the 2001 Phoenix Open, took only 93 putts over four rounds this week at Forest Oaks. That matched the tour record for fewest putts in a 72-hole event, a mark established by Kenny Knox at Harbour Town in 1989.
"It's luck obviously," said Calcavecchia.
"I must have putted 10 times in four days from an inch off the green. I did putt great all week. I won't deny that. But to miss as many greens as I did is almost impossible on top of that.
"Hey, a record is a record, right?"
Mediate and Calcavecchia were knotted in the lead after four holes but the tie didn't last long.
At the fifth, Mediate ran home an eight-foot birdie putt and Calcavecchia bogeyed the hole to complete a two-shot swing. Mediate drained a five-foot birdie at the sixth and when Calcavecchia bogeyed seven, the lead was four.
Mediate didn't give Calcavecchia any openings on the back nine.
"Really from there he was in the driver's seat," Calcavecchia said.
Calcavecchia collected three birdies and two bogeys on the inward side, but it was not enough to catch Mediate. Mediate birdied the 15th hole when his wedge approach nearly spun into the hole.
"I didn't miss a fairway [down the stretch]," said Mediate. "I knew if I did I was going to lose because if Calcavecchia gets on one of those binges I'm out of here. I knew I didn't have it, but I brought it in."
Chad Campbell and Jonathan Byrd shared third place at 10-under par. Carl Paulson and Jim Gallagher, Jr. were next at minus-nine.
Calgary's Stephen Ames shot a 68 and was tied for seventh at 280.
