Woods defeats Mediate in epic battle to capture 108th U.S. Open Championship

The ending didn't suit the drama that preceded it, but Tiger Woods short par putt on the 91^st hole gave him his 14^th Major Championship victory and perhaps his most impressive triumph to date.

Woods finally vanquished 45-year-old Rocco Mediate, who was vying to become the oldest U.S. Open champion ever, the highest-ranked player to capture the national championship and the oldest first-time major winner, in a Monday playoff finish. 

On consecutive days it looked like Mediate would pull off the improbable upset but twice it was a hobbled Woods who birdied the par-5 18^th at Torrey Pines to force the tournament into extra holes; Sunday's birdie forced the 18-hole playoff and Monday's birdie led to the 91^st and final hole of the 2008 U.S. Open.

On the first hole of sudden-death Mediate drove the ball into a fairway bunker. His next shot bounded against the grandstand. He would take relief but couldn't get up and down from off the green to force another hole. His 20 foot putt veered right of the cup, ending his unlikely run and further cementing the legend of Woods.

The Open was Woods' first tournament since his arthroscopic knee surgery in April following the Masters. Thursday's opening round was the first time he had walked 18 holes since the Sunday round at Augusta National. He continually winced, grimaced and limped, sometimes using his club as a cane, but somehow managed to pull off the improbable.

"I threw everything I had, everything I had," said Mediate who entered the U.S. Open ranked 168^th in the Official World Golf Rankings. "He had to burn the last to stay in it again and he did it. He's remarkable."

Woods is now a perfect 14-14 in Major Championships when he has at least a share of the lead after 54 holes but this is as close as he has come to falling short when in front of the field.

"As I said out there, this is probably the best ever," said Woods. "All things considered, don't know how I ended up in this position to be honest with you.

Woods march to victory at Torrey Pines began on Saturday when he stroked two lengthy eagle putts and drained a chip shot on one hop to put himself at 3-under-par for the tournament, which was good enough for a one shot lead headed into Sunday.

Sunday's round began with another double bogey on the 1^st, his third of the tournament on that hole and his fourth overall. He would give three shots back over the first two holes. Woods would rally and eventually scramble on No. 18 to make birdie and set off a deafening roar from the massive crowd assembled. 

"Well, it's pressure," Woods said of his efforts on the 18^th hole this week. "I was nervous and that's a good thing. You can try and use that energy as best you can to heighten your focus and then get into the right situation and it worked out great for me this week."

The win was Woods' third U.S. Open championship and his first since the tournament was last held on a public course at Bethpage Black in 2002 when Woods was the only golfer to finish in red figures on route to the win.

It was also his 65^th career victory, passing Ben Hogan for third all-time.

It was the second time Woods has won a PGA Tour event and a U.S. Open on the same course - Pebble Beach in 2000 and Torrey Pines, where in January he won by eight shots in the Buick Invitational.

He is now four major championships shy of tying Jack Nicklaus' all-time record of 18 Major Championship victories and he joins Nicklaus as the only other man to have won the Grand Slam of golf three times over.

"Well only being four back, it's hard to believe I'm in this situation," Woods said. "It's hard to believe I've had this nice a run in my career. And hopefully it will continue. I'm going to keep practicing, keep trying to grind and get better."

Woods also became the first golfer to win at the same venue seven times; the U.S. Open and six Buick Invitational victories, including four in the past four years.

The focus of the Woods' camp now likely turns to Royal Birkdale and the British Open Championship. Woods is committed to play the Buick Open in Michigan as well as his tournament at Congressional Country Club in Washington, D.C. but the nature of his knee injury and the pounding it endured this week will likely keep him out of those events.

"I think I need to shut it down for a little bit here," said Woods. "It's a bit sore. I need to take a little bit of a break."

For Mediate, the weeks following the Open will be a chance to enjoy and reflect upon what will most likely be the defining moment of his career. It was his chance to stand toe-to-toe with the world's best player and show he belonged.

"The only thing I take from this is I gave him the best that I had and it wasn't quite good enough," Mediate said. "But it almost was. It wasn't like I got my butt handed to me today. I think that he obviously - obviously he wanted to win, but I think he enjoyed the crap out of this competition, and I certainly did. And I know that I still can do this stuff and I want to try that again sometime, somewhere."

The perception surrounding the U.S. Open has become that even-par should be good enough to win. After 91 holes, Woods was the only player who broke that barrier.