The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 17 June 2008 /

Steven Rawlings finds there aren't enough superlatives to eulogise about Tiger Woods after a heart-stopping five days.

I thought Saturday was going to be a cruise for my last man standing, Tiger Woods, who started the day at around [2.4]. But he started poorly again with a double bogey at the first hole. It wasn't what I'd wanted at all, I was shattered and wasn't going to be able to stay awake. The plan had been to lay some off at odds on. The plan had gone astray.

I nodded off a few times and every time I looked at the screen he was trading at nowhere near [2.0]. Another cup of coffee and I was ok again and so was Woods, a birdie at the seventh steadied the ship and when he just sneaked onto the par five ninth green with his second shot I pounced. A lay at [2.06] was made and the record button pressed. Back to bed and some lovely sleep.

I watched the recorded highlights with astonishment, a chip in birdie on the 17th and an eagle on the last tidied up a scruffy card and saw him lead the event for the first time. I wasn't about to regret laying off some at [2.06] as even after the miracle finish he was only as short as [1.75].

Sunday started as Saturday had, another woeful double bogey for Woods but this time he looked to be in serious discomfort and there was genuine doubt as to whether he would even finish the round.

He had now given up seven shots on his first hole over the four days, a remarkable handicap and my theory was that he understandably hadn't given it his all on the range and was probably a bit cold, having to both adjust to playing in pain and wait for the body to warm up. When he hit another stray drive on the second and bowed his head in pain on the tee box the layers were out in force. I felt it could have been a bit of an over reaction though and backed him again at [4.2].

A run of solid pars followed until he birdied the par five ninth and I again layed him back at [1.7]. When he birdied the 11th and then found the fairway on the par five 13th, it looked like the great man was home and he traded at a low of [1.19].

But it wasn't going to be that simple. After watching Westwood inexplicably play his second shot into the hazard left of the fairway, Woods managed to match his aberration and suddenly it was wide open again.

While Woods was bogeying the 13th, Rocco Mediate was birdying the 14th and taking the lead. The amiable veteran had been hanging around the upper echelons of the leaderboard like a bad smell all week, aiming to become both the oldest and lowest ranked winner of the event ever and I confess I had ignored his presence, fully expecting an inauspicious fall from grace. To his eternal credit the fall never happened and it was a nerve racking finish.

I went in again on Woods at [4.0] as he emulated Mediate and bogeyed the 15th hole to again trail by one shot and that's how things stayed until the last hole.

With Mediate safely in, both Woods and Westwood trailed by one on the 18th tee. Westwood had traded as low as [2.48] but I had felt all along he was going to fall short. I don't recall seeing a putt of length of his reach the hole and the tentative putting would cost him. He had probably played the best golf but hadn't quite been able to get the job done which to me wasn't a massive surprise.

Westwood and Woods played the last poorly, both finding sand off the tee and as a result Mediate traded at a short of [1.21]. Westwood found the fairway with his lay up but his approach shot was average and his birdie attempt again didn't quite get to the hole.

Woods slipped as he played his second shot which resulted in him throwing his club into the face of the bunker, finding the rough with his ball, and trading at almost the biggest price he'd been for the event. Plenty was matched at [7.6].

But a magnificent approach to about 12 feet was followed by a birdie putt that bobbled and jumped its way to the very edge of the hole only to be dragged in by the golfing Gods.

An eighteen hole Monday play off isn't everyone's cup of tea and especially one that looked so one sided on paper. Despite not being able to visualise anything but a Tiger victory, I layed off some more Woods at[1.34].

When Mediate bogeyed the very first hole I layed a little bit more again at [1.21] and was then only winning marginally more on Woods than on Mediate. I was now going to sit back, relax and enjoy. And enjoy I did, it was a fascinating play off that ebbed and flowed throughout.

The next change came at the third when a Tiger bogey was bettered by two strokes by Mediate with a birdie. At that point Tiger touched [1.5] and Mediate [3.0].

Then when Woods birdied the sixth and seventh holes he opened up a gap of two and hit [1.13] but instead of kicking on he bogeyed the eighth and made a horlicks of the par five ninth, failing to make birdie from the middle of the fairway. However Rocco was in a generous mood and made an even bigger mess of things with a fumbling three putt bogey.

As they made the turn Woods led by two and traded at [1.14] to Rocco's [7.8].

A hole later, the gap was three and Woods, after making a lengthy par save from just off the green traded at [1.07 ] while Mediate, out to [13.5], had yet again three putted to make another bogey.

The standard of play was poor at that point and the game really did look up for Rocco but Tiger just couldn't get away. On the 11th he yet again pushed the door tantalisingly ajar when his tee shot found sand. For the third time on a three par three he made bogey via a bunker.

He then followed that with another bogey at the 12th and on the 13th, for the first time since the fourth hole, they matched scores. A birdie a piece saw them go to the 14th tee with Tiger holding the slenderest of advantages and they traded at [1.25] Tiger and [5.0] Mediate.

Credit to Rocco, he forced Tiger's hand when he went for the green on the par four 14th. Neither player quite reached the putting surface but Mediate was on the fairway and Woods in the rough, the result, a birdie for Rocco to Tiger's par and what we had now was what most were asking for anyway. A four hole play off, as both men went to the 15th tee on +1. The betting was now [1.5] Woods, [3.0] Mediate and it was game on.

A wayward tee shot from Woods on the 15th and it really was game on. He found a bunker on the adjacent hole. As the prices fluctuated wildly, they nearly went [2.0] the pair but not quite. Woods second shot was majestic and finished inside Mediate's which was no poor approach shot itself.

Incredibly, Mediate made his third consecutive birdie which Woods couldn't match and we had flip flopping favourites, [1.93] Mediate, [2.06] Woods.

They flip flopped again after their tee shots on the par three 16th; Mediate was short of the green while Woods crept on.

They both made par, one more roll of the ball and Woods would have made birdie but he left his putt agonisingly short and it was then Mediate [1.81] & Woods [2.18].

At the 17th they traded pars; Woods again leaving his birdie putt short.

As they went to the 18th hole Mediate was firm favourite at [1.58] to Woods' [2.6] but a loose tee shot saw him drift to [1.9], once Tiger had whacked his drive straight down the fairway. After Mediate laid up and chipped on, Woods battered a three iron on to the green. They couldn't be separated and both traded at around [2.0]. A couple of tense putts a piece later and incredibly it was on to the first sudden death hole, the seventh.

Before the tee shots Woods was favourite at [1.64], while Mediate traded at [2.5].

After Woods hit the right-hand side of the fairway and Mediate found a very awkward spot in a fairway bunker Woods went clear favourite at [1.25]. Mediate was now looking like a sinking ship, out to [4.6].

Mediate hooked his second shot into the grandstand, while Woods found the green. The writing was on the wall. Rocco couldn't get his pitch from the drop zone to within twenty feet and Woods comfortably two putted for par.

Rocco missed his par putt and it was all over. The 108th US Open had resulted in major win number 14 for Tiger.

I'm won't eulogise about Woods; there aren't sufficient superlatives to do him justice. To do what he's done this week in quite obvious pain is remarkable and I wouldn't hazard a guess as to when we'll see him again either. He was vague in his speech as to when he'll return and I wouldn't assume he'll make the Open.

He certainly did me a favour; I traded very well on him all week and it made for a very decent profit.

As for Rocco Mediate, he can wake up every day for the rest of his life a contented man, knowing when he had his chance he didn't shirk the issue. He gave everything he had and some. He showed incredible resolution and must have gained thousands of admirers across the globe, myself included.

One last thought, don't those American crowds drive you mad, 'in the hole!' on par five tee shots, 'one time' etc.
Anyway, cheers Tiger, YOU DA MAN!
I'll be back tomorrow with my picks for this weeks two events, the BMW International and Travellers Championship.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: