2008 US Open

Fifth and Final Playoff Round - Well here it is, as stated by the winner himself, "This is probably the greatest tournament I've ever had," said Woods after conquering Mediate on the 19th hole of the U.S. Open playoff on Monday. After looking back over the years and taking everything into consideration, we felt that it had to be the best, most exciting tournament we have ever watched.

Fighting an injured left knee, an erratic swing and series of terrible starts, Woods still managed to produce some of the most memorable moments of his mythic career at Torrey Pines. There were the two back nine eagles on Saturday; a front-nine 30 on Friday; and his Sunday birdie on 18 to force the playoff in the first place. Though his performance Monday, by comparison, wasn't quite as dramatic, if was just as effective. Woods surrendered his lead to Mediate on the 14th, then fell one shot back on 15. On 18, however, after a series of interesting drives, he smoked one down the middle, hit the centre of the green with a four-iron, and two-putted to extend the match. He then put him away with a professional par on the 461-yard par-four seventh for the 14th major of his career.

Woods said afterward. "I'm glad I'm done. I really didn't feel like playing anymore. The atmosphere kept me going. I couldn't have quit on these people." Woods's knee continues to be the subject of considerable speculation and, after Monday's round, he allowed that doctors had told him he risked further injury by playing in the Open. He said he wouldn't be playing "for a while", which brings the British Open into question. He also added the knee was bothering him as intently on Monday as it had during the previous four rounds.


4th Round Play - Not over yet! Again, playing in obvious pain and struggling through the first 9 holes, Woods blew his initial lead and ended up two strokes behind the leader. However by the end of the 17th hole, after a total of 3 bogies and a double bogie, he was somehow just one off the lead. Then when it looked like he was going to come in second, he pulled it out with a fantastic birdie on the 18th to force a 18-hole playoff on Monday with Rocco Mediate to decide the title. Again, just a magnificent performance by Woods.

3rd Round Play - With unbearable pain and three unforgettable shots, Tiger Woods turned in what will be one of the most memorable performances in a major Saturday. That he made it to the finish line was nearly as impressive as his magical array of shots. His tender left knee first buckled on the 15th hole, and Woods used his club as a cane to get down the fairway, limping along while trying to stay in the hunt. He played the final six holes in 4 under - and that included a bogey - and will play in the final group for the sixth time in the last eight majors. Right when some 50,000 fans at Torrey Pines thought they had seen it all, Woods knocked in a 30-foot eagle on the 18th for a 1-under 70 and his first 54-hole lead in the U.S. Open since 2002. When it was over, he had holed two long eagle putts and chipped in for a birdie, taking a one-shot lead over Lee Westwood.

Even though he has the lead, and has never lost a major from the front, he has never won a major with a limp, either. When asked, "Is it getting worse? Yes, it is," said Woods, playing for the first time since surgery April 15 to clean out cartilage in his left knee. "Certain shots, I'll feel it. I can't say it's a drive, can't say it's a wedge. I'm not sure what shot it's going to happen on."

Rocco Mediate, trying to become the oldest U.S. Open champion at age 45, looked as though he would leave everyone behind when he made an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 10 to reach 4-under and kept putting his shots in the fairway and on the green. But a three-putt bogey on the 13th was the start of a four-hole stretch that he played 4-over par. That included a chip he bladed over the green and into a bunker for double bogey on the 15th. He had to settle for a 72 and was at 1-under 212.

2nd Round Play - Woods was still paired with Phil Mickelson, and Adam Scott, during the second round of the 108th U.S. Open at the Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) in San Diego, California. As with the first round, he started the day with a bogey on the first hole. And for the first nine holes it didn't get much better. Then, we were just amazed, though we probably shouldn't have been, at his play on the back nine. After the first 9 holes he came back from 7 down to 2nd place after a blazing final nine hole score of 30, nearly tying the course record of 29.