"It's going to be unreal" says ecstatic Mediate ahead of Open play-off

/ Maxliu / 16 June 2008 / Leave a Comment

The American can't wait to take on Tiger in today's 18-hole Torrey Pines showdown

Ahead of today's U.S Open play-off Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate have been giving their reactions to the high-drama which left the players tied at the top of the leader board on one under par.

The pair tee off at 9:00 a.m. local time today after Woods holed a 15-foot putt at the 18th to level with Mediate on the fourth day of the open at Torrey Pines.

Dogged by a persistent knee injury, a poor start saw the world number one double-bogey the first hole as he had twice already at this year's U.S Open. He looked unlikely to climb to the top of the board but Woods, who is chasing a fourteenth major title, is now favourite to win todays play-off [1.35]. He said:

"I hit the ball terribly today but I hung in there and gave myself a chance. The 18th green was not exactly smooth. I was saying to myself: 'Just stay committed to the stroke and if it bounces off line it bounces off line; if it goes in it goes in. It took forever to break."

Few would have bet on Mediate challenging for the Open title and he had traded as high as [910.0]. But the 45-year-old American, who now goes into today's play-off at [3.85] to win, said:

"It doesn't get any bigger than the Open. I am ecstatic about getting in and making Tiger have to do something. The play-off is going to be unreal. I can't wait to see what happens."

Britain's Lee Westwood, who failed to hole a birdies putt at the 18th hole to set up a three way play-off, is putting his encouraging third place finish down to persistence.

He said: "I knew I was not out of it. I had made a couple of bad mistakes but a lot can happen over the last few holes."