Print

Mail

wiki links

Woods grabs a birdie at the 18th to force a playoff

Tiger Woods reacts after sinking a birdie putt on the 18th green that forced a playoff against Rocco Mediate during the fourth round of the US Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California, on Sunday. PHOTO: AP

Tiger Woods drained a birdie putt at the final hole on Sunday to set up a "David versus Goliath" 18-hole playoff with unheralded American Rocco Mediate at the 108th US Open golf championship.

Woods completed a two-over 73 to force the showdown with Mediate, who fired an even-par 71 on the Torrey Pines South course for a one-under total of 283.

“The green wasn’t very smooth,” Woods said. “I kept telling myself make a pure stroke. If it bounces in or out, so be it, at least I can hold my head up high and hit a pure stroke. I hit it exactly where I wanted to, and it went in.”

Mediate was watching from a scoring booth as Woods’ putt curled around the lip of the cup before dropping.

Mediate, a 45-year-old who has won five times on the US PGA Tour, but is seeking his first major title, said he was certain it would go in.

“Unbelievable, I knew he would make it,” Mediate said. “How much better can this get?”

England’s Lee Westwood had a chance to join the playoff with a birdie at the last, but his putt trickled away from the cup and left him with a 73 for even-par 284.

Woods started the day with a one-shot lead over Westwood, with Mediate a further shot back.

The world No.1 owns a perfect 13-0 record in major championships in which he has held or shared the lead going into the final round, but he could not get any momentum going as he posted his worst score of the week.

But he will get a chance to take his total of major triumphs to 14 as he continues his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.

Woods, still showing some signs of pain in his surgically repaired left knee, was leading Mediate by one shot through 12 holes before a bogey at the par-five 13th, a hole he had eagled in the past two rounds.

Woods was on the left edge of the fairway off the tee and hit his second shot left into the hazard. Westwood bogeyed 13 in similar fashion, while at the same time Mediate birdied 14 from a green-side bunker to seize the advantage.

Westwood, who had seen his lead evaporate when he bogeyed three of the first four holes after the turn, also birdied 14 to stay in the chase, but his last birdie of the day proved to be too little, even after Woods and Mediate both bogeyed the 15th.
This story has been viewed 712 times.