Ali's Basement

I’m not a huge golf fan, but I have gotten interested in the sport since Tiger Woods started making the sport popular. I realized that all sports are fun to watch when it’s extremely competative, and this weekends U.S. Open was just that. I was literally on the edge of my seat as Mediate, Woods and Westwood battled in the last few holes. The 18th hole was the most crucial. With an recently repaired knee, Tiger has shown once again why he is a Legend.
Looking as vulnerable as he ever has during a run toward a major, Tiger Woods is nonetheless the U.S. Open champion for a third time.

On the 91st hole at Torrey Pines, Woods stood strong on his wobbly left knee in putting away a determined Rocco Mediate in sudden death to win his 14th major title.

The two shot even-par 71 Monday, so the playoff continued, starting on the par-4 seventh hole. Woods two-putted for par, then looked on as Mediate missed his par-saving try from 15 feet.

It also was Woods’ seventh victory at Torrey Pines, the most victories of any golfer on one course.

Woods blew a three-shot lead he built by the 10th hole and trailed by one, but got onto the par-5 18th hole in two and made a 4-foot putt for birdie. Mediate had a chance to win the tournament with a 20-foot birdie putt of his own, but he missed and had to make a testy 3-foot comebacker to stay tied.

This marked only the third time a U.S. Open playoff has gone beyond 18 holes. The last was 1994, when Ernie Els and Loren Roberts played to a draw, then went two extra holes before Els won his first championship.

Mediate trailed by three heading into the 11th hole, but made three straight birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 15 to grab the lead and force Woods to birdie the 18th to stay in the tournament.

Woods did the same thing Sunday on No. 18 to force the playoff and stay in contention for his 14th major. He has never lost when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead, as he did heading into the final round this time.

Mediate, meanwhile, is seeking his first major victory. At 45 years, 6 months, he would become the oldest first-time major winner and the oldest man to win the U.S. Open. (source ESPN.com)

~ by alisbasement on June 17, 2008.