Tiger Woods was playing for the first time since arthroscopic knee surgery two months ago.
The tough 7,643-yard course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, is easily the longest course in major championship history.
After 3 rounds and seventeen holes veteran Rocco Mediate was leading woods by a stroke.
After four days of scrappy golf Woods came to the par-5 72nd hole on Sunday trailing Rocco ediate by a stroke. Woods hit a bad drive into a fairway bunker and his second shot left him in the rough, 101 yards from a dangerous pin cut hard against a green-front pond. Woods hit a lovely wdge shot to within 12 feet. Woods had to putt for a birdie and force an eigteen hole play-off. The US Open is the only tournament to have an eighteen hole play-off. Of course Woods sank the putt.
On to Monday, Mediate fell three strokes behind and battled back to levels with eight holes left, he was at even par and one stroke ahead playing the 18th hole but for the second straight day could only make a disappointing par. Woods two-putted for a birdie and the two moved on to sudden death. On the first extra hole Woods played perfectly and Mediate after competing with the all-time best golfer for ninety holes finally cracked landing in a bunker and the green-side rough.
Torrey Pines is a public course. Woods was brought up ninety miles away and played there when he was a kid and won competions their in his teens.
Woods has won U.S. Opens at Pebble Beach, Bethpage and Torrey Pines, three municipal courses that are open to all.
Woods limped and grimaced throughout the tournament. He may need knee surgery. (Mediate ligament damage ...?)
Miguel Angel Jimenez won the his first PGA Championship title after beating England's Oliver Wilson in a play-off at Wentworth.
On Tuesday afternoon, Annika Sorenstam probably the greatest female golfer ever to play the game, walked into the media tent of the Sybase Classic at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, N.J. she smiled and announced that she was stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the season. "I have other priorities," she said. "A lot of dreams I want to follow. I'm getting married next January, and I want to start a family and continue to build the Annika brand of businesses, including my academy, my foundation, and my golf course design projects."
