When Tiger Woods won the 2008 US Open in a sudden death playoff just months after undergoing knee surgery
Tiger Woods' enthralling victory at the 2008 US Open is still regarded as one of the greatest golfing victories of all time. The legendary American golfer was tied for the lead with Rocco Mediate after playing 72 holes of the Major, leading to an 18-hole sudden-death playoff.
The victory was particularly special for Tiger Woods as he was playing through pain throughout the event. Just a few months before the Major, he had undergone knee surgery and had not fully recovered when he teed off. Despite this he played exceptionally well and delivered an exemplary performance.
It was his 14th Major win and arguably the most special one. Reflecting on his victory, Tiger Woods said (via Yahoo Sports):
“I don’t know how it even got this far but I’m very, very fortunate to have played 91 holes and come out on top. I think this is the best, just because of all the things I had to deal with.
“It’s a close one with the first (major) that I won (at the 1997 Masters). I dealt with a few things this week and just had to keep plugging along. I wasn’t feeling my best, I didn’t get off to the greatest of starts and when I finally got off to a good start (in the play-off), I screwed that up by finding the bunker on three," he added.
It is important to note that Tiger Woods has won 15 Majors in his career so far. After his 2008 US Open win, he went on to win the Masters in 2019. He has won three US Open titles in total.
How did Tiger Woods perform at the 2008 US Open?
Tiger Woods started his game at the 2008 US Open with a double bogey on the first hole during the first round of the event. However, he soon turned the game in his favor and carded three birdies on the front nine.
He added another double bogey on the back nine, finishing the round with a score of 72. After his struggles in the first round, he had a better outing in the second round. Woods shot five birdies on the front nine and an eagle on the back nine but also made four bogeys, resulting in a score of 68.
In the third round, Woods began with a double bogey followed by a bogey on the fourth hole, then rebounded with a birdie on the seventh. He shot two bogeys, two eagles, and a birdie on the back nine to score 70.
The final round started with another double bogey followed by a bogey. Despite this, Tiger Woods managed to shoot a few birdies during the round, finishing with a score of 73. Overall, he shot three bogeys, a double bogey, and three birdies in the final round to finish in a tie with Rocco Mediate with a score of even par.
He defeated Mediate in a sudden death playoff to win the Major at the Torrey Pines. He had previously won the US Open in 2000 and 2002.