| 2008 U.S. Open | |
The 2008 U.S. Open was played at Torrey Pines, site of a PGA Tour even every year, and a PGA Tour event that Tiger Woods had won six times entering this tournament. So everyone expected Woods to win - and he did. But not in the way everyone expected.
Woods didn't dominate; instead, he was matched stroke-for-stroke by veteran journeyman Rocco Mediate. Lee Westwood was in the mix, too, until the final green of the fourth round.
Woods had knee surgery several months before the 2008 U.S. Open and missed an earlier part of the PGA Tour season. At Torrey Pines this week, Woods was in obvious pain on many shots, grimacing as a result of those knee problems. But playing on a course he loves, Woods kept grinding.
Mediate carded the best fourth-round score of the three with a 71. Playing one group ahead of Woods and Westwood, Mediate got into the clubhouse at 1-under 283. As Woods and Westwood teed off No. 18, they each trailed Mediate by one stroke.
Both Woods and Westwood had birdie putts to tie Mediate. Westwood's 15-footer didn't fall; Woods' 12-footer did. And that sent Woods and Mediate into a Monday playoff.
That playoff was a David-and-Goliath affair: Mediate, 45 years old, years of injury problems, five career PGA Tour wins, no majors. Woods, 32 years old, 64 career PGA Tour wins, 13 majors. Woods had his own injury issues in this tournament, but they hadn't stopped him from forcing the playoff.
In the middle of the 18-hole playoff, it appeared that Woods might do what everyone expected: run away from Mediate. Tiger led by three after 10 holes. But Mediate reeled Woods back in, evening the score after the 14th, and then taking a 1-stroke lead on the 15th. On the 18th tee, Woods again found himself trailing Mediate by one.
But once again, Woods birdied the 18th hole, which, coupled with Mediate's par, left them tied again. So it was on to a sudden-death playoff. Woods and Mediate started on the No. 7 hole, and that's where Mediate finally cracked, scoring a bogey.
Woods parred the hole, and won the championship. Two days later, Woods announced season-ending knee surgery to repair a torn ACL, and also revealed that he had played the 2008 U.S. Open with stress fractures in his left leg.
For Tiger, the 2008 U.s. Open was his third victory in this championship and his 14th major championship victory.
2008 U.S. Open Scores
Results from the 2008 U.S. Open golf tournament played on the par-71 South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif. (x-won playoff; a-amateur):
| x-Tiger Woods | 72-68-70-73--283 | $1,350,000 |
| Rocco Mediate | 72-68-70-73--283 | $810,000 |
| Lee Westwood | 70-71-70-73--284 | $491,995 |
| Robert Karlsson | 70-70-75-71--286 | $307,303 |
| D.J. Trahan | 72-69-73-72--286 | $307,303 |
| Carl Pettersson | 71-71-77-68--287 | $220,686 |
| John Merrick | 73-72-71-71--287 | $220,686 |
| Miguel Angel Jimenez | 75-66-74-72--287 | $220,686 |
| Heath Slocum | 75-74-74-65--288 | $160,769 |
| Eric Axley | 69-79-71-69--288 | $160,769 |
| Brandt Snedeker | 76-73-68-71--288 | $160,769 |
| Camilo Villegas | 73-71-71-73--288 | $160,769 |
| Geoff Ogilvy | 69-73-72-74--288 | $160,769 |
| Stewart Cink | 72-73-77-67--289 | $122,159 |
| Retief Goosen | 76-69-77-67--289 | $122,159 |
| Rod Pampling | 74-70-75-70--289 | $122,159 |
| Ernie Els | 70-72-74-73--289 | $122,159 |
| Phil Mickelson | 71-75-76-68--290 | $87,230 |
| Chad Campbell | 77-72-71-70--290 | $87,230 |
| Ryuji Imada | 74-75-70-71--290 | $87,230 |
| Brandt Jobe | 73-75-69-73--290 | $87,230 |
| Sergio Garcia | 76-70-70-74--290 | $87,230 |
| Mike Weir | 73-74-69-74--290 | $87,230 |
| Robert Allenby | 70-72-73-75--290 | $87,230 |
| Hunter Mahan | 72-74-69-75--290 | $87,230 |
| Adam Scott | 73-73-75-70--291 | $61,252 |
| Boo Weekley | 73-76-70-72--291 | $61,252 |
| Anthony Kim | 74-75-70-72--291 | $61,252 |
| Bart Bryant | 75-70-78-69--292 | $48,482 |
| a-Michael Thompson | 74-73-73-72--292 | |
| Steve Stricker | 73-76-71-72--292 | $48,482 |
| Patrick Sheehan | 71-74-74-73--292 | $48,482 |
| Jeff Quinney | 79-70-70-73--292 | $48,482 |
| Scott Verplank | 72-72-74-74--292 | $48,482 |
| Aaron Baddeley | 74-73-71-74--292 | $48,482 |
| Pat Perez | 75-73-75-70--293 | $35,709 |
| Daniel Chopra | 73-75-75-70--293 | $35,709 |
| Padraig Harrington | 78-67-77-71--293 | $35,709 |
| Jonathan Mills | 72-75-75-71--293 | $35,709 |
| Justin Leonard | 75-72-75-71--293 | $35,709 |
| Andres Romero | 71-73-77-72--293 | $35,709 |
| Todd Hamilton | 74-74-73-72--293 | $35,709 |
| Joe Ogilvie | 71-76-73-73--293 | $35,709 |
| Robert Dinwiddie | 73-71-75-74--293 | $35,709 |
| Stuart Appleby | 69-70-79-75--293 | $35,709 |
| Jim Furyk | 74-71-73-75--293 | $35,709 |
| Oliver Wilson | 72-71-74-76--293 | $35,709 |
| Jarrod Lyle | 75-74-74-71--294 | $23,985 |
| John Rollins | 75-68-79-72--294 | $23,985 |
| Matt Kuchar | 73-73-76-72--294 | $23,985 |
| Dustin Johnson | 74-72-75-73--294 | $23,985 |
| Tim Clark | 73-72-74-75--294 | $23,985 |
| Ben Crane | 75-72-77-71--295 | $20,251 |
| Soren Hansen | 78-70-76-71--295 | $20,251 |
| Kevin Streelman | 68-77-78-72--295 | $20,251 |
| Martin Kaymer | 75-70-73-77--295 | $20,251 |
| Davis Love III | 72-69-76-78--295 | $20,251 |
| Stephen Ames | 74-74-77-71--296 | $20,251 |
| Rory Sabbatini | 73-72-75-76--296 | $20,251 |
| Nick Watney | 73-75-77-72--297 | $17,691 |
| a-Rickie Fowler | 70-79-76-72--297 | |
| Alastair Forsyth | 76-73-74-74--297 | $17,691 |
| Brett Quigley | 73-72-77-75--297 | $17,691 |
| David Toms | 76-72-72-77--297 | $17,691 |
| John Mallinger | 73-75-78-72--298 | $16,514 |
| Vijay Singh | 71-78-76-73--298 | $16,514 |
| Paul Casey | 79-70-76-73--298 | $16,514 |
| Trevor Immelman | 75-73-72-78--298 | $16,514 |
| a-Derek Fathauer | 73-73-78-75--299 | |
| D.A. Points | 74-71-77-77--299 | $15,778 |
| Andrew Dresser | 76-73-79-72--300 | $15,189 |
| Andrew Svoboda | 77-71-74-78--300 | $15,189 |
| Woody Austin | 72-72-77-79--300 | $15,189 |
| Jesper Parnevik | 77-72-77-75--301 | $14,306 |
| Ian Leggatt | 72-76-76-77--301 | $14,306 |
| Justin Hicks | 68-80-75-78--301 | $14,306 |
| Ross Mcgowan | 76-72-78-77--303 | $13,718 |
| Rich Beem | 74-74-80-76--304 | $13,276 |
| Chris Kirk | 75-74-78-77--304 | $13,276 |
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