With One Knee, Tiger Woods is Still the Best
Posted by Shannon on June 17, 2008
There have been memorable moments in the U.S. Open before. Tom Watson’s chip-in at Pebble Beach. Ben Hogan’s 1950 win months after a career-threatening car accident. Hale Irwin’s victory celebration at Medinah in 1990 and Payne Stewart’s putt to win at Pinehurst n 1999 in what would be his final victory.
But none match the magnitude of what took place this weekend at Torrey Pines where Tiger Woods played on one good knee and outlasted Rocco Mediate on the 91st hole of competition to win his third U.S. Open and first since 2002. Woods’ performance was Willis Reed and Kirk Gibson taken to the ultimate point. What Reed and Gibson did in one moment, Woods had to do over the course of five days.
Had this been the Buick Invitational (also played at Torrey Pines) and not the U.S. Open, its easy to imagine Woods not competing or even withdrawing at some point in the tournament. Not this week. Not with this much riding on the line. A U.S. Open, on his first Father’s Day as a father, at a course that he loves so much, near the town he grew up in, with the crowds the way they were all weekend there was no way Woods was going to quit. It was not in his bag of tricks for the weekend.
Instead, Woods gave us shots that we will remember for a lifetime. As NBC’s Johnny Miller mentioned during the telecast yesterday, golfers will walk to the 9th bunker and look over at the 15th hole and be in awe of the shot Woods pulled off to get within 12 feet of the pin. (On the flip side, golfers will play the 13th with the desire to do better than Phil Mickelson’s 9 there on Saturday.) For any other golfer, Woods’ shot at the 15th would define their career, but for Woods is just what we’ve come to expect from the world’s best.
There is no doubt that what we saw was the greatest collection of five rounds of golf in U.S. Open history and perhaps the greatest playoff of all time with Mediate coming oh-so-close from pulling off the miracle victory. It was a win for the ages and further signifies that Woods is the greatest to ever play the game and we are all just fortunate to be able to watch.
But what now? When we will Tiger be back on the course? The question is an unknown. Woods will likely not play prior to the British Open in July at Birkdale, which means he’ll skip his own AT&T National. Even playing in the Open seems like a stretch at this point.
Regardless of when Woods plays again one thing is clear, Woods is closer to his goal of catching Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championship victories. He is now four away from the Golden Bear and three-years ahead of the pace Nicklaus’ set in his storied career.
Woods will pass Nicklaus’ mark and likely by the conclusion of the 2010 season. And if he has two good knees come the Open or the PGA Championship, there may be no stopping him.
