US Open / maxliu / 17 June 2008 / Leave a comment

...but not before trading at odds-on going down the last

Tiger Woods traded at a tournament-low of [1.06] on Betfair when three up in the play-off after the opening 10 holes, but Rocco Mediate took him to the 91st hole before finally succumbing to the inevitable.

In fact, for most of the back nine it looked as if Mediate was going to secure an unlikely win in the US Open.

And plenty of his supporters were getting excited at that prospect, as he was backed as high as [910.0] for the win on Betfair, with £1,999 matched on him at odds of [500.0] and greater on the leading betting exchange.

With the match all square after a Mediate back nine fight back, Woods drifted to [2.0] when he was in trouble on the 15th. But he played a sensational shot from the bunker, one which the commentators were applauding as one of the best they had ever seen, to go inside Mediate on the green.

But Mediate holed out and Woods missed, and Mediate went odds-on for the first time in the play-off.

Woods traded at a high of [2.96] going to the last one down, and Mediate had a 20-foot putt to win it on the final green. But he missed and Woods holed out, to force an amazing tournament on to the 91st-hole.

The prices at that stage were then [1.66] Woods and [2.5] Mediate. But Woods took control on the first extra hole to oblige; he had traded at a high of [8.8] on Betfair to win the major, and at [22.0] to win on an extra hole.

Mediate traded at a low of [1.21] on Betfair to win the tournament on Sunday, and at [1.51] in yesterday's grueling play-off.

Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin commented: "That was a golfing classic, and let's hope that those with massive prices on Mediate laid off for a guaranteed win. For picking him out pre-tournament, they certainly deserved it."

Tags: Golf Betting, Play-off, Rocco Mediate, Tiger Woods, Torrey Pines, US Open