The U.S. Open is the third golf major of the season, held in the United States, usually in mid-June. It was established 129 years ago, in 1895 and is run by the United States Golf Association (USGA).
Three years later, in 1898, the event adopted a 72-hole stroke-play format. The U.S. Open has been played on 52 different courses, designed for accuracy and thus creating a challenging scoring system.
The U.S. Open has a field of 156 players, and all professional players are eligible to apply for qualifying. However, most of the field is usually taken by the players exempted from qualifying through a long list of exemptions. Amateur players with not more than a 1.4 handicap can also apply.
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Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open Wins
Tiger Woods won three U.S. Opens in 2000, 2002 and 2008.
Woods is a 48-year-old living legend with 110 professional wins, including 82 on the PGA Tour and 41 on the European Tour. He still holds several golf records and has won two FedEx Cups in 2007 and 2009, along with 15 majors, two Players Championships and 18 WGC events.
Further, his 82 PGA Tour wins tie with Sam Snead to be the most PGA Tour wins ever and his 2000 U.S. Open win by 15 strokes is an active record for all majors. Only Woods has won the U.S. Open three times in a row while occupying the top spot in the world rankings. Moreover, he is the only golfer to win the U.S. Amateur Championship three times in a row, from 1994 to 1996.
2000 U.S. Open
The 2000 U.S. Open was held at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, where Woods won by 15 strokes over Miguel Angel Jimenez and Ernie Els. The latter margin broke Old Tom Morris' record of 13 strokes set at the 1862 Open Championship.
This was the 100th edition of the event and the 100th professional event for Woods, who was then 24 years old and at the height of his career. It was his first win to complete his Grand Slam, aka Tiger Slam, which was concluded by his win at the 2001 Masters Tournament.
2002 U.S. Open
At the 2002 U.S. Open, two years later, Woods won his eighth major event at Bethpage State Park's Black Course, defeating Phil Mickelson by three shots. Mickelson holds the record for most runner-ups at the U.S. Open with six.
That same year, he won the Masters Tournament too and became the first golfer in 30 years to do so; however, the same accomplishment was achieved by Jordan Speith in 2015.
2008 U.S. Open
The 2008 U.S. Open was won by Woods, which was his 14th major win; however, Woods was then suffering from ligament injuries in his left knee. He literally hobbled across the finish line at Torrey Pines, where Rocco Mediate pushed him hard throughout the 18-hole playoffs, but Woods won by one shot.
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FAQ's On Tiger Woods wons
A. Tiger Woods has three U.S. Open wins in 2000, 2002, and 2008.
A. Tiger is one of the greatest golf players ever and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021.
A. No one has more wins than Tiger Woods, who leads with 82 PGA Tour wins; however, Sam Snead is on par with him.
A. Tiger Woods won by a record 15 strokes, part of his career Grand Slam known as the "Tiger Slam."
A. Tiger Woods has held the No. 1 spot for 281 consecutive weeks, the longest consecutive ever. He has risen to No. 1 11 times and cumulatively spent 13 years.
Tiger Woods won his ever US Open in the year 2000.