Professional golfer Rocco Mediate doesn’t just know how to handle his clubs.

He’s also pretty darn good at handling diamonds, spades and hearts.

Mediate, 45, became a household name earlier this week when he lost the U.S. Open golf championship to Eldrick “Tiger” Woods in a thrilling playoff in San Diego, California, USA.

The exciting match had a nation–and much of the rest of the world–enthralled, as the pair ended tied for the lead after regulation play on Sunday.

Even an 18-hole playoff between the two the next day did nothing to break the tie.

Then, finally, a sudden-death 19th hole provided the difference, as Woods prevailed.

As it turns out, Mediate has faced competitive pressure of a different type–he’s also a poker player!

In fact, records show he competed in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

He didn’t finish in the money, but he came close.

The Main Event that year was won by goateed, Lebanon-born, Australia resident Joe Hachem, who earned $7.5 million and famously shouted “Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!” at the top of his lungs after copping the crown.

But what about Mediate?

Does he prefer golf or poker?

Or something else?

In an interview with the New York Daily News during the 2005 WSOP, Mediate sounded almost Kreskin-like, telling a reporter: “Let me put it to you this way, If I had won the U.S. Open, it would have paid me a million dollars and probably another $3-5 million off the golf course in the next couple of years.

“When I come here to the World Series of Poker, I have an opportunity to win–what’s it going to be– $7, 8, 9 million? That’s to play cards.

“That is unbelievable. It’s bigger than the United States Open as far as how much money you can make.”

After mixing it up with Woods, there’s no word yet on whether Mediate plans to mix it up with the likes of Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth at this year’s WSOP.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.)