On this day in 2008: Tiger Woods wins US Open after play-off with Rocco Mediate

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Tiger Woods won the US Open after 19 holes of a play-off against Rocco Mediate at the Torrey Pines course, on this day in 2008.

Woods kept his hopes of winning alive and forced the play-off by holing a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 for the pair to tie on one under after four rounds in southern California.

Mediate, who was bidding to become the oldest US Open winner at the age of 45, led by one on the final tee, but Woods responded with a birdie.

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Tiger Woods won the 2008 US Open after 19 holes of a play-off (Jane Barlow/PA)

With neither player able to be separated after the 18-hole play-off, sudden death commenced, but Mediate bogeyed the first extra hole.

On the same day he reached 500 weeks as world number one, Woods capitalised and made no mistake to seal the championship.

The result was his 14th major victory and he moved to within four major titles of Jack Nicklaus’ all-time career record of 18 victories.

Woods’ feat was made even more remarkable as The Open was his first event since undergoing knee surgery straight after the Masters earlier in April, and he struggled throughout the tournament with pain.

Speaking after the win, he said: “I don’t know how it has 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.”

Woods has since won one more major, the 2019 Masters, and after sustaining serious injuries in a car accident last year, he made a remarkable comeback to compete at the Masters in April this year.

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