Woods pulls it out of the bag again

Do you believe in favoured sons? In dispensing their favours, the golfing gods certainly do; either that, or Tiger Woods is simply out of this world. Maybe it's the latter.

Yesterday, not for the first time, and just as his hopes of the 108th US Open title seemed to have escaped from his grasp, the world's number one conjured up yet another moment of magic on this cliff-top course in San Diego to force a play-off with Rocco Mediate.

"Unbelievable!" mouthed Mediate, who had set the clubhouse target with a finishing 71 for 283, one-under-par, as Woods - a 13-time major champion - rolled in a 18-footer for birdie on the 18th hole to join him on that mark. Seconds earlier, Lee Westwood, who had been bunkered off the tee, missed a 20-footer of his own for birdie which would have also given him a place in the 18-hole play-off which takes place today (starting 5pm Irish time).

Once again, Woods defied all logic. Once again, he refused to concede defeat. Once again, he overcame adversity to demonstrate a remarkable capacity to make putts when they really matter. Does he will the ball into the hole? It certainly seems that way, and, coming on top of Saturday's antics when he finished birdie-eagle (chipping the ball into the hole on the 17th and then rolling an outrageous putt down the hill on the 18th), his play on the 18th in the final round shouldn't have taken anybody by surprise.

Having started the day with a one stroke advantage over Lee Westwood, Woods frittered away shots over the opening two holes; and a double bogey start on the first - where his left knee seemed to be causing some concern - when he pulled his drive left into the rough and then, not once but twice, hit tree branches with his attempted recoveries was followed by a bogey on the second meant that he was turned into a chaser.

Woods, who has won all 13 of his previous major titles as a frontrunner, was forced to play catch-up. And, on a day that started with grey clouds but which became sunnier as it wore on, the triumvirate of Mediate, Woods and Westwood became the main players. For a time, Australian Geoff Ogilvy threatened to gatecrash the party, but he suffered three bogeys on his back nine to fall back to finish in tied-ninth position, while Robert Karlsson - birdieing the last two holes - left his charge too late as he finished in tied-fourth.

No, as ever, this was about Woods  . . . and Mediate, a 45-year-old veteran who had earned his place in the field when coming through a play-off at qualifying. Playing in the penultimate pairing, Mediate - a 275/1 outsider at the start of the championship - appeared destined to claim the greatest win of his career when he finished with a 71.

Behind him, Woods - who had dropped back to level par, a shot behind - with a bogey on the 15th where he was in the right rough off the tee and then hit his approach into greenside rough ruled out the prospect of going for the green in two on the Par 5 527 yards 18th when he was bunkered off the tee. Likewise, Westwood's drive on the 18th also found a bunker, in his case down the left.

With both players forced to lay-up, the odds suddenly switched to favouring Mediate who watched events unfold in the recorder's hut. Westwood found the fairway with his lay-up, but Woods put his shot into the rough. What's more, Woods's ball finished in a divot in the rough some 99 yards from the pin. Undeterred, Woods chopped down on the shot and sent the ball to within 18 feet of the hole. Westwood, for his part, played a wedge to 20 feet above the hole.

When Westwood - who had bogeyed the 10th, 12th and 13th holes only to revive his chances with a birdie on the 14th - missed, it was all down to Woods holing his putt to force a play-off. Woods analysed the putt from every angle; and then rolled it in for a birdie to ensure a place in the play-off against Mediate, a player ranked 157th in the world.

"I get to play against the best player that ever played. Whatever happens, happens," said Mediate of the challenge ahead. "I can't believe I am in this situation."

Woods, who underwent surgery on his knee on April 15th and hadn't played a full round of golf since appearing in the Masters, looked to be in discomfort after hitting some shots in the final round but later remarked of the knee's well-being or not, "it is what it is  . . . it will have to hold up."

A piece of history that Mediate maybe would rather not know: in Woods's two previous play-offs in majors, he has won — beating Bob May in the 2000 US PGA and overcoming Chris Di Marco in the 2005.

Westwood, who missed out on a place in the play-off by one stroke, said: "I'm a little bit gutted, but pretty satisfied in general. I'm pleased with myself. I thought I stuck in there well. It's just very fine margins (between success and failure)."