THE BLOGAn extra eighteen holes
The world’s best against a qualifier.Who could have imagined that for a Monday at Torrey Pines?
As Rocco Mediate anxiously watched from the scoring area late Sunday afternoon, pacing at times, Tiger Woods pulled off the dramatic as only the world No. 1 can accomplish. He hadn’t holed a long, clutch putt for 17 holes, but when he needed to make a 12-footer for birdie, one that would decide if the U.S. Open was headed for 18 extra holes, Woods found the bottom of the 4¼-inch diameter circle to send the thousands gathered at the 18th hole into a frenzy.Woods, who is 13-for-13 at majors when holding the 54-hole lead, struggled the entire day, but that birdie at 18 gave him a 2-over-par 73 and a 72-hole total of 1-under 283, tying him with Mediate, who finished one group ahead with an even-par 71.
Wearing a Peace sign on his belt buckle, Mediate started the day two strokes behind Woods. By the second hole, he owned the lead after the 32-year-old Woods double-bogeyed No. 1 for the third consecutive day and Mediate birdied No. 2. Woods would add a bogey at the second then make six consecutive pars before recording his first birdie of the day at the par-5 ninth. He would make only two more birdies coming in: a 4-footer at the par-3 11th and his 12-footer at 18 after finding the fairway bunker off the tee and then the primary rough with his second.
If Woods wins, it will be his third U.S. Open title and ninth USGA championship, tying him with Bob Jones for the most at nine. He also would be just four major victories behind Nicklaus. Woods has never been in an 18-hole playoff, but he did beat former southern California junior rival Bob May in a three-hole playoff to win the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla, and Chris DiMarco in a one-hole, sudden death playoff for the 2005 Masters. Of his six amateur USGA titles, two went extra holes (1993 U.S. Junior and ’96 U.S. Amateur).
