Woods - 14 Down 4 To Go
What a fitting finish to a cracking tournament. Tiger Woods ended Rocco Mediate's bid to become the oldest player to win the U.S Open on the first hole of a sudden death playoff yesterday.
Mediate could have walked away with so much more had it not been for Woods, who despite playing on a badly hurting left knee birdied the 72nd hole to force a playoff and repeated the feat at the 90th hole to force a sudden-death playoff.
The two, who shot even-par 71s in the 18-hole playoff, went to the seventh, where Mediate failed to make par and had to settle for the title of runner-up to the man with so many titles.
"I'm coming to get you Tiger."
"I just about got him," Mediate, 45, said. "He had to birdie the last again; and, again, he did it.
"I can't give any more, I really can't. I almost got it done."
Said the man who almost pulled off one of sports' greatest upsets.
"Tiger is so hard to beat, he's unreal. I would have loved to have won, it was a great day.
"The crowd was unbelievable, the putt I made at 18 just to stay in it - I handled it, I was nervous as a cat but I handled it.
"I can't really complain, I did the best I could. It just showed me that I can still compete. I got what I wanted, a chance to beat the best player in the world and I came up just short."
But Woods overcame to claim what he described as his "greatest major championship."
"I think this is probably the best ever," Woods said. "All things considered, I don't know how I ended up in this position, to be honest with you. It was a long week."
After making eagle on the hole to take the lead into the fourth round, Woods arrived at the 18th tee on consecutive days knowing he needed a birdie to tie. Each time he delivered.
"So Rocco, you were saying?"
"Well, it's pressure; there's no doubt," Woods said. "I was nervous and that's a good thing. That means you care."
Woods cared so much he ignored his doctor's orders not to play golf so he could compete in the Open at one of his favourite courses.
"I'm glad I'm done, I really don't feel like playing any more.” Said Woodsy.
"The atmosphere kept me going, it could have been very easy to quit, but I couldn't quit in front of these people, it wasn't going to happen."
Asked when he would play again, he replied: "Not for a while, I'm going to shut it down for a little bit and see what happens."
We’re hoping Woods is back in action at Royal Birkdale in Southport for the Open Championship, starting on July 17th.
"I'll take a little time off," he said, before being asked if the Open would be his next tournament.
"I hope so," so do we Tiger.
Congratulations Tiger and good on you Rocco. You’ve re-ignited our love affair with the US Open. After a sterile three days at Augusta this is exactly what golf needed. Some were saying that the Masters was turning into the US Open, after this five day feast of excitement is the US Open the new Masters?
Nope?
Didn't think so.
 Superman's daughter takes her first flight.
6/17/2008 11:21:31 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00) 
|
|