By Garry Smits
Florida Times-Union sports writer
Morris News Service

PONTE VEDRA BEACH - When Rocco Mediate walked off the 10th green after a double-bogey, he gave himself an important pep talk.

``I made a dumb mistake, but that didn't make me dumb,'' said Mediate.

He then went on to make some very smart shots - and some very huge putts. So many, in fact that he did something no player had ever done in a Players Championship: make six consecutive birdies on the final six holes.

A 30-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole and a 15-footer at the 18th sealed Mediate's run into The Players record book and gave him his second consecutive 66 to finish the tournament at 13-under par 275 and a third place, good for $137,813, his biggest paycheck of the year.

Four players have made six birdies in a row, Tom Watson in 1984, Dave Rummells in 1986, Fred Wadsworth in 1987 and Paul Azinger in 1993. But no one made their successive birdie run to close out a round.

``I never dreamed I would do that,'' said Mediate, a Ponte Vedra Beach resident who wielded his long putter like a magician over the last three rounds to help him recover from an opening 74. ``I just kept going. I hit some good shots and it paid off big time.''

Mediate said he actually had more on his mind than any birdie string. After falling to 7 under with the double-bogey at No. 10, he rocketed up the leaderboard with each birdie putt, starting with a 2-footer at the par-3 13th hole after he hit a superb iron shot to a tough pin position. At one point after Mediate finished his round, he was tied for third.

``I saw the leaderboard and I wanted to get in there and feel nervous again,'' said Mediate, who missed most of last year with back problems. ``It's been a long time.''

Mediate will play in this week's BellSouth Classic in Atlanta, which will be his final chance to qualify for The Masters. He'll have to win it, but he's brimming with confidence now.

``I'm way beyond where I thought I'd be at this time,'' he said of his rapid recovery. ``I feel very encouraged right now. I'm going to Atlanta to win, because it's my last chance.''