When Tiger Woods made that final putt on Sunday, forcing the 18-hole playoff at the U.S. Open, didn’t you want to be there?

When Rocco Mediate led by one stroke in Monday’s playoff heading to the final hole, didn’t you want to be there?

And when Mediate’s final par putt on the first sudden-death hole went wide and the crowd roared as the two competitors respectfully embraced, didn’t you want to be there?

Steve DiMeglio was there, just feet away from the world’s best golfer and a salty competitor.

“When you see Tiger pull off what he does, it makes me wonder what it would have been like to watch Babe Ruth hit those mammoth home runs,” he said.

DiMeglio, who graduated from Mankato West in 1979 and Minnesota State in 1985, is in his second summer as the golf writer for USA Today. He spent his previous six years with that publication primarily covering professional baseball.

He was just a few feet off the 18th green when Woods made that tying putt on Sunday, and he could only compare that noise level to a few other events he has witnessed: Scott Brosius’ game-winning home run at Yankee Stadium in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series, Bill Clinton’s introduction at the 2000 Democractic National Convention and Woods’ 25-foot, breaking putt on the 18th hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

“I was just smiling,” DiMeglio said. “It’s great to be witness to that and see the people go nuts. A bunch of us were talking, and we knew he was going to make it. But it’s still unfathomable. You can watch it on TV, but there’s still a different feeling when you’re there.”

DiMeglio’s summer is filled with golf, primarily the PGA Tour, although he covers five LPGA tournaments. He’s been taking a few days off this week to catch up on his own golf game, and he’ll be covering the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Interlachen Country Club.

Last summer, he estimated that he spent more than 150 days at golf tournaments, rarely getting home in between events. But he’s not complaining.

“When you get to the course, no matter how tired you are, you see Lorena (Ochoa) hitting balls, Annika (Sorenstam) hitting balls, Tiger or Phil (Mickelson), it perks you up,” he said.

DiMeglio’s career has allowed him to see plenty of superstars up close, whether it’s Barry Bonds hitting batting practice blasts or Woods booming drivers from the practice range. He’s witnessing athletes who are or may be considered the greatest ever to do what they do.

That makes the travel seem worthwhile. With Woods facing season-ending knee surgery, that makes last weekend’s performance even more spectacular.

“Tiger is living what we all dream about,” he said. “How many times have you stepped over a 12-foot putt and thought this could be the putt that wins the Ryder Cup. Tiger is doing that.”