Wounded Tiger Survives U.S. Open

For those of you who weren't busy and had access to a TV Monday afternoon, you saw a golf match for the ages.

Tiger Woods, who has won just about everything in professional men's golf, defeated Rocco
Mediate, a 45-year old journeyman who hadn't won a tournament in years, in a playoff that ended on the first sudden-death hole at the U.S. Open in Torrey Pines near San Diego.

Neither man played flawless golf, but they both made the shots when they had to. Especially Woods, who had to birdie the 18th hole on Sunday just to get into the playoff.

Most competitors turn into simpering pretenders when Woods has the lead late in the tournament. Not Mediate. He matched the most dominant player in golf toe-to-toe until he finally ran out of gas on the sudden-death 7th hole. If Mediate had won, it would have ranked as the greatest upset in sports this century.

Usually, the antiquated 18-hole playoff results in anti-climactic finishes. The USGA got lucky this time, but it really should consider altering the format in the future.

Woods, who won his 14th major tournament on his way to perhaps surpassing Jack Nicklaus' 18 victories, played competitively for the first time since he had his knee surgically repaired following The Masters. He played as if he shouldn't have been there, the pain compounded by five days of walking through an 18-hole course, having to step in awkward positions every once in awhile. But it turned out all right for him.

How much longer can we continue to watch Tiger Woods make history? A few weeks ago, Annika Sorenstam--who has dominated the LPGA the way Woods has conquered the PGA Tour--announced her retirement at the end of this season. She said she no longer had the desire to compete. With Woods' increasingly erratic playing schedule, it might not be too far-fetched to ask if Tiger Woods might follow Sorenstam's lead and enjoy the fruits of his labors.