Tiger Woods, in agony and in danger it seemed of having to pull out of the US Open last Friday, completed a simply staggering victory today.
On the very day he reached 500 weeks as world number one, Woods took his total of majors to 14 — just four short of Jack Nicklaus's record — after a marathon duel with fellow American Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines.
After staying alive with a 15-foot putt on Sunday Woods again birdied the last to stop 45-year-old qualifier Mediate becoming the championship's oldest winner.
They were both round in level par 71s as a result, Mediate having come from three down after 10 to lead by one on the final tee.
Woods then won his own version of the "Battle of Wounded Knee" when his opponent, ranked 158th in the world, bogeyed the first extra hole of sudden death. Their 91st of the week.
In his first event since surgery on his left knee straight after the Masters in April, Woods made it a remarkable five straight victories at the San Diego venue and took his on-course career earnings through the $100 million mark.
If not the greatest victory of all the 87 he has now had as a professional, it was certainly the most unlikely when he started with a double bogey and appeared miles short of full fitness.
His play-off record now, though, is a stunning 16-3 — and, of course, he has maintained his record of winning every single major he has led after 54 holes. All 14 of them, that is.
League table of golf's major winners:
18 Jack Nicklaus
14 Tiger Woods
11 Walter Hagen
9 Ben Hogan, Gary Player
8 Tom Watson
7 Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer
6 Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo
Play-off hole-by-hole
1st, 448yds, par 4: Woods 4 Mediate 5. Woods 1 up. Mediate bunkered 2nd and missed from 7ft.
2nd, 389yds, par 4: Woods 4 Mediate 4. Both men saved par after poor shots.
3rd, 188yds, par 3: Woods 4 Mediate 2. Mediate 1 up. Woods plugged in bunker, Mediate 2ft.
4th, 488yds, par 4: Woods 4 Mediate 4. Woods twice in rough, but chipped dead.
5th, 433yds, par 4: Woods 4 Mediate 5. Level. Mediate hits cart path after bunkering drive.
6th, 501yds, par 4: Woods 3 Mediate 4. Woods 1 up. Drive and nine-iron to 7ft.
7th, 461yds, par 4: Woods 3 Mediate 4. Woods 2 up after drive and wedge to 10ft.
8th, 171yds, par 3: Woods 4 Mediate 3. Woods 1 up. Plugged in back bunker, came out over the green.
9th, 612yds, par 5: Woods 5 Mediate 6. Woods 2 up. Woods saves par from off green, Mediate three putts.
10th, 414yds, par 4: Woods 4 Mediate 5. Woods 3 up. Mediate weak chip, Woods 20ft par-saving putt.
11th, 192yds, par 3: Woods 4 Mediate 3. Woods 2 up. More bunker trouble.
12th, 505yds, par 4: Woods 5 Mediate 4. Woods 1 up. Driving into sand, Woods bogeys again.
13th, 539yds, par 5: Woods 4 Mediate 4. Mediate in greenside bunker, but makes seven-footer to match Woods' two-putt birdie.
14th, 269yds, par 4: Woods 4 Mediate 3. Level. Mediate chips dead, Woods lips out from 9ft.
15th, 478yds, par 4: Woods 4 Mediate 3. Mediate 1 up. Woods conjures up great shot to 12ft from bunker on another hole, but misses after Mediate holes from 25ft.
16th, 225yds, par 3: Woods 3 Mediate 3. Woods' 50ft birdie attempt stops just short.
17th, 441yds, par 4: Woods 4 Mediate 4. Woods' 22ft birdie attempt comes up short.
18th, 525yds, par 5: Woods 4 Mediate 5. Level. Mediate bunkers drive and cannot match Woods' two-putt birdie.
Total: Woods 71 Mediate 71
19th (7th hole): Woods 4 Mediate 5. Woods wins. Mediate bunkers drive again misses green and fails to get up and down.
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