It wasn’t a surprise when Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open. The tournament was played at Torrey Pines, a golf course Woods had already won on six times entering this Open. And, well, he was Tiger Woods: owner of, at the start of the championship, 13 major titles.

But how Woods won it - overcoming injuries that soon after ended his season, beating journeyman Rocco Mediate in a scintillating head-to-head battle - was surprising. And, in retrospect, it’s also surprising that this may have been Woods’ final win in a major championship.

Quick Bits

Winner: Tiger Woods, 283 (final scores below) Dates: June 12-16, 2008 Golf course: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) in La Jolla, Calif. U.S. Open number: This was the 108th time the U.S. Open was played.

Woods’ Injury Issues

Woods had arthroscopic knee surgery several months before the 2008 U.S. Open and missed an earlier part of the PGA Tour season. This tournament was his return to play. So Woods’ injury issues were known entering the tournament, although it was thought he’d overcome them.

At Torrey Pines this week, Woods was in obvious pain on many shots, grimacing as a result of those knee problems. Some of his fellow-competitors even speculated that Woods was making too much of a show of such pain - that, perhaps, he was exaggerating for effect.

He wasn’t. Just nine days after this tournament ended, Woods underwent reconstructive surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. It was also revealed that Woods played the 2008 U.S. Open with stress fractures in his left leg.

The Early Rounds of the 2008 US Open

The U.S. Open often produces early surprises, and the leaders following the first round - Justin Hicks and Kevin Streelman, with 68s - fall into the category. Mediate was among those tied for third at 69.

Woods opened with a 72, but a second-round 68 moved him into a tie for second place. Mediate was also tied for second, one behind Stuart Appleby.

Appleby fell away with a 79 in the third round. And Woods went into the lead at 3-under 210 following a round of 70. One behind was Lee Westwood, with Mediate in third place at 212.

The Final Round: Woods, Mediate and Westwood

The fourth round got off to a poor start for Woods: he double-bogeyed (the third time he did that on No. 1 during the tournament). Then he bogeyed the second hole, so after two holes Woods went from leader to chaser. Through four holes, Mediate led at 2-under, followed by Westwood at 1-under and Woods at even-par.

After nine holes, Westwood was at 2-under, Woods at 1-under and Mediate at even-par. The three continued jockeying for position over the back nine, Mediate birdying Nos. 10 and 14 and bogeying 15; Westwood making bogey on holes 10, 12 and 13 before birdying 14; Woods birdying No. 11, then bogeying Nos. 13 and 15.

Mediate carded the best fourth-round score of the three with a 71. Playing one group ahead of Woods and Westwood, Mediate got into the clubhouse at 1-under 283.

As Woods and Westwood teed off No. 18, they each trailed Mediate by one stroke. And both Woods and Westwood had birdie putts on 72nd hole to tie Mediate. Westwood’s 15-footer didn’t fall.

Then Woods lined up his 12-footer and knocked it into the hole for birdie (eliciting the reaction in the photo above). That birdie tied Woods with Mediate at 1-under 283, requiring an 18-hole Monday playoff.

Woods vs. Mediate in the 2008 US Open Playoff

The playoff was a David-and-Goliath affair: Mediate, 45 years old, years of injury problems, five career PGA Tour wins, no majors. Woods, 32 years old, 64 career PGA Tour wins, 13 majors.

In the middle of the 18-hole playoff, it appeared that Woods might do what everyone expected: run away from Mediate. Tiger led by three after 10 holes. But Mediate reeled Woods back in, evening the score after the 14th, and then taking a 1-stroke lead on the 15th. On the 18th tee, Woods again found himself trailing Mediate by one.

But once again, Woods birdied the 18th hole, which, coupled with Mediate’s par, left them tied again. So it was on to a sudden-death playoff. Woods and Mediate started on the No. 7 hole, and that’s where Mediate finally cracked, scoring a bogey.

Woods parred the hole to win the championship.

For Tiger, the 2008 U.S. Open was his third victory in this championship and his 14th overall major championship victory. In the years since, Woods has not yet won another major.

2008 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores

Results from the 2008 U.S. Open golf tournament played on the par-71 South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif. (x-won playoff; a-amateur):

x-Tiger Woods 72-68-70-73–283 $1,350,000

Rocco Mediate 72-68-70-73–283 $810,000

Lee Westwood 70-71-70-73–284 $491,995

Robert Karlsson 70-70-75-71–286 $307,303

D.J. Trahan 72-69-73-72–286 $307,303

Carl Pettersson 71-71-77-68–287 $220,686

John Merrick 73-72-71-71–287 $220,686

Miguel Angel Jimenez 75-66-74-72–287 $220,686

Heath Slocum 75-74-74-65–288 $160,769

Eric Axley 69-79-71-69–288 $160,769

Brandt Snedeker 76-73-68-71–288 $160,769

Camilo Villegas 73-71-71-73–288 $160,769

Geoff Ogilvy 69-73-72-74–288 $160,769

Stewart Cink 72-73-77-67–289 $122,159

Retief Goosen 76-69-77-67–289 $122,159

Rod Pampling 74-70-75-70–289 $122,159

Ernie Els 70-72-74-73–289 $122,159

Phil Mickelson 71-75-76-68–290 $87,230

Chad Campbell 77-72-71-70–290 $87,230

Ryuji Imada 74-75-70-71–290 $87,230

Brandt Jobe 73-75-69-73–290 $87,230

Sergio Garcia 76-70-70-74–290 $87,230

Mike Weir 73-74-69-74–290 $87,230

Robert Allenby 70-72-73-75–290 $87,230

Hunter Mahan 72-74-69-75–290 $87,230

Adam Scott 73-73-75-70–291 $61,252

Boo Weekley 73-76-70-72–291 $61,252

Anthony Kim 74-75-70-72–291 $61,252

Bart Bryant 75-70-78-69–292 $48,482

a-Michael Thompson 74-73-73-72–292

Steve Stricker 73-76-71-72–292 $48,482

Patrick Sheehan 71-74-74-73–292 $48,482

Jeff Quinney 79-70-70-73–292 $48,482

Scott Verplank 72-72-74-74–292 $48,482

Aaron Baddeley 74-73-71-74–292 $48,482

Pat Perez 75-73-75-70–293 $35,709

Daniel Chopra 73-75-75-70–293 $35,709

Padraig Harrington 78-67-77-71–293 $35,709

Jonathan Mills 72-75-75-71–293 $35,709

Justin Leonard 75-72-75-71–293 $35,709

Andres Romero 71-73-77-72–293 $35,709

Todd Hamilton 74-74-73-72–293 $35,709

Joe Ogilvie 71-76-73-73–293 $35,709

Robert Dinwiddie 73-71-75-74–293 $35,709

Stuart Appleby 69-70-79-75–293 $35,709

Jim Furyk 74-71-73-75–293 $35,709

Oliver Wilson 72-71-74-76–293 $35,709

Jarrod Lyle 75-74-74-71–294 $23,985

John Rollins 75-68-79-72–294 $23,985

Matt Kuchar 73-73-76-72–294 $23,985

Dustin Johnson 74-72-75-73–294 $23,985

Tim Clark 73-72-74-75–294 $23,985

Ben Crane 75-72-77-71–295 $20,251

Soren Hansen 78-70-76-71–295 $20,251

Kevin Streelman 68-77-78-72–295 $20,251

Martin Kaymer 75-70-73-77–295 $20,251

Davis Love III 72-69-76-78–295 $20,251

Stephen Ames 74-74-77-71–296 $20,251

Rory Sabbatini 73-72-75-76–296 $20,251

Nick Watney 73-75-77-72–297 $17,691

a-Rickie Fowler 70-79-76-72–297

Alastair Forsyth 76-73-74-74–297 $17,691

Brett Quigley 73-72-77-75–297 $17,691

David Toms 76-72-72-77–297 $17,691

John Mallinger 73-75-78-72–298 $16,514

Vijay Singh 71-78-76-73–298 $16,514

Paul Casey 79-70-76-73–298 $16,514

Trevor Immelman 75-73-72-78–298 $16,514

a-Derek Fathauer 73-73-78-75–299

D.A. Points 74-71-77-77–299 $15,778

Andrew Dresser 76-73-79-72–300 $15,189

Andrew Svoboda 77-71-74-78–300 $15,189

Woody Austin 72-72-77-79–300 $15,189

Jesper Parnevik 77-72-77-75–301 $14,306

Ian Leggatt 72-76-76-77–301 $14,306

Justin Hicks 68-80-75-78–301 $14,306

Ross Mcgowan 76-72-78-77–303 $13,718

Rich Beem 74-74-80-76–304 $13,276

Chris Kirk 75-74-78-77–304 $13,276

Comings and Goings at the 2008 US Open

This was the first U.S. Open played by Martin Kaymer, winner of the 2010 PGA Championship and 2014 U.S. Open. Kaymer tied for 53rd place. Rickie Fowler, playing as an amateur, made his U.S. Open debut and finished in a tie for 60th. Mark O’Meara, winner of the 1998 Masters and 1998 British Open, missed the cut in his final U.S. Open appearance.

Tiger Woods’ US Open Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

Tiger Woods’ Masters Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

2010 US Open

Tiger Woods in the Majors

The Worst Golf Chokes and Collapses

1995 U.S. Open: Pavin Comes Through in the Clutch

1950 US Open: Hogan’s Triumphant Return

7 Times Golfers Ripped the USGA Over the US Open Golf Course

Sergio Garcia: Masters Champion and Ryder Cup Golf Star

Playoffs at The Masters Tournament

Back-To-Back Masters Winners

Phil Mickelson Masters Record: Wins and Scores

2019 Masters Tournament: Tiger Woods Wins 5th Green Jacket

US Open Scoring Records: Golfers Going Low

1998 US Open: Janzen Gets the Better of Stewart … Again

Tiger Woods’ First PGA Tour Win: The 1996 Las Vegas Invitational

Home

Entertainment

Careers

Activities

Humor

About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy

LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies

It wasn’t a surprise when Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open. The tournament was played at Torrey Pines, a golf course Woods had already won on six times entering this Open. And, well, he was Tiger Woods: owner of, at the start of the championship, 13 major titles.

But how Woods won it - overcoming injuries that soon after ended his season, beating journeyman Rocco Mediate in a scintillating head-to-head battle - was surprising. And, in retrospect, it’s also surprising that this may have been Woods’ final win in a major championship.

Quick Bits

Winner: Tiger Woods, 283 (final scores below) Dates: June 12-16, 2008 Golf course: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) in La Jolla, Calif. U.S. Open number: This was the 108th time the U.S. Open was played.

Woods’ Injury Issues

Woods had arthroscopic knee surgery several months before the 2008 U.S. Open and missed an earlier part of the PGA Tour season. This tournament was his return to play. So Woods’ injury issues were known entering the tournament, although it was thought he’d overcome them.

At Torrey Pines this week, Woods was in obvious pain on many shots, grimacing as a result of those knee problems. Some of his fellow-competitors even speculated that Woods was making too much of a show of such pain - that, perhaps, he was exaggerating for effect.

He wasn’t. Just nine days after this tournament ended, Woods underwent reconstructive surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. It was also revealed that Woods played the 2008 U.S. Open with stress fractures in his left leg.

The Early Rounds of the 2008 US Open

The U.S. Open often produces early surprises, and the leaders following the first round - Justin Hicks and Kevin Streelman, with 68s - fall into the category. Mediate was among those tied for third at 69.

Woods opened with a 72, but a second-round 68 moved him into a tie for second place. Mediate was also tied for second, one behind Stuart Appleby.

Appleby fell away with a 79 in the third round. And Woods went into the lead at 3-under 210 following a round of 70. One behind was Lee Westwood, with Mediate in third place at 212.

The Final Round: Woods, Mediate and Westwood

The fourth round got off to a poor start for Woods: he double-bogeyed (the third time he did that on No. 1 during the tournament). Then he bogeyed the second hole, so after two holes Woods went from leader to chaser. Through four holes, Mediate led at 2-under, followed by Westwood at 1-under and Woods at even-par.

After nine holes, Westwood was at 2-under, Woods at 1-under and Mediate at even-par. The three continued jockeying for position over the back nine, Mediate birdying Nos. 10 and 14 and bogeying 15; Westwood making bogey on holes 10, 12 and 13 before birdying 14; Woods birdying No. 11, then bogeying Nos. 13 and 15.

Mediate carded the best fourth-round score of the three with a 71. Playing one group ahead of Woods and Westwood, Mediate got into the clubhouse at 1-under 283.

As Woods and Westwood teed off No. 18, they each trailed Mediate by one stroke. And both Woods and Westwood had birdie putts on 72nd hole to tie Mediate. Westwood’s 15-footer didn’t fall.

Then Woods lined up his 12-footer and knocked it into the hole for birdie (eliciting the reaction in the photo above). That birdie tied Woods with Mediate at 1-under 283, requiring an 18-hole Monday playoff.

Woods vs. Mediate in the 2008 US Open Playoff

The playoff was a David-and-Goliath affair: Mediate, 45 years old, years of injury problems, five career PGA Tour wins, no majors. Woods, 32 years old, 64 career PGA Tour wins, 13 majors.

In the middle of the 18-hole playoff, it appeared that Woods might do what everyone expected: run away from Mediate. Tiger led by three after 10 holes. But Mediate reeled Woods back in, evening the score after the 14th, and then taking a 1-stroke lead on the 15th. On the 18th tee, Woods again found himself trailing Mediate by one.

But once again, Woods birdied the 18th hole, which, coupled with Mediate’s par, left them tied again. So it was on to a sudden-death playoff. Woods and Mediate started on the No. 7 hole, and that’s where Mediate finally cracked, scoring a bogey.

Woods parred the hole to win the championship.

For Tiger, the 2008 U.S. Open was his third victory in this championship and his 14th overall major championship victory. In the years since, Woods has not yet won another major.

2008 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores

Results from the 2008 U.S. Open golf tournament played on the par-71 South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif. (x-won playoff; a-amateur):

x-Tiger Woods 72-68-70-73–283 $1,350,000

Rocco Mediate 72-68-70-73–283 $810,000

Lee Westwood 70-71-70-73–284 $491,995

Robert Karlsson 70-70-75-71–286 $307,303

D.J. Trahan 72-69-73-72–286 $307,303

Carl Pettersson 71-71-77-68–287 $220,686

John Merrick 73-72-71-71–287 $220,686

Miguel Angel Jimenez 75-66-74-72–287 $220,686

Heath Slocum 75-74-74-65–288 $160,769

Eric Axley 69-79-71-69–288 $160,769

Brandt Snedeker 76-73-68-71–288 $160,769

Camilo Villegas 73-71-71-73–288 $160,769

Geoff Ogilvy 69-73-72-74–288 $160,769

Stewart Cink 72-73-77-67–289 $122,159

Retief Goosen 76-69-77-67–289 $122,159

Rod Pampling 74-70-75-70–289 $122,159

Ernie Els 70-72-74-73–289 $122,159

Phil Mickelson 71-75-76-68–290 $87,230

Chad Campbell 77-72-71-70–290 $87,230

Ryuji Imada 74-75-70-71–290 $87,230

Brandt Jobe 73-75-69-73–290 $87,230

Sergio Garcia 76-70-70-74–290 $87,230

Mike Weir 73-74-69-74–290 $87,230

Robert Allenby 70-72-73-75–290 $87,230

Hunter Mahan 72-74-69-75–290 $87,230

Adam Scott 73-73-75-70–291 $61,252

Boo Weekley 73-76-70-72–291 $61,252

Anthony Kim 74-75-70-72–291 $61,252

Bart Bryant 75-70-78-69–292 $48,482

a-Michael Thompson 74-73-73-72–292

Steve Stricker 73-76-71-72–292 $48,482

Patrick Sheehan 71-74-74-73–292 $48,482

Jeff Quinney 79-70-70-73–292 $48,482

Scott Verplank 72-72-74-74–292 $48,482

Aaron Baddeley 74-73-71-74–292 $48,482

Pat Perez 75-73-75-70–293 $35,709

Daniel Chopra 73-75-75-70–293 $35,709

Padraig Harrington 78-67-77-71–293 $35,709

Jonathan Mills 72-75-75-71–293 $35,709

Justin Leonard 75-72-75-71–293 $35,709

Andres Romero 71-73-77-72–293 $35,709

Todd Hamilton 74-74-73-72–293 $35,709

Joe Ogilvie 71-76-73-73–293 $35,709

Robert Dinwiddie 73-71-75-74–293 $35,709

Stuart Appleby 69-70-79-75–293 $35,709

Jim Furyk 74-71-73-75–293 $35,709

Oliver Wilson 72-71-74-76–293 $35,709

Jarrod Lyle 75-74-74-71–294 $23,985

John Rollins 75-68-79-72–294 $23,985

Matt Kuchar 73-73-76-72–294 $23,985

Dustin Johnson 74-72-75-73–294 $23,985

Tim Clark 73-72-74-75–294 $23,985

Ben Crane 75-72-77-71–295 $20,251

Soren Hansen 78-70-76-71–295 $20,251

Kevin Streelman 68-77-78-72–295 $20,251

Martin Kaymer 75-70-73-77–295 $20,251

Davis Love III 72-69-76-78–295 $20,251

Stephen Ames 74-74-77-71–296 $20,251

Rory Sabbatini 73-72-75-76–296 $20,251

Nick Watney 73-75-77-72–297 $17,691

a-Rickie Fowler 70-79-76-72–297

Alastair Forsyth 76-73-74-74–297 $17,691

Brett Quigley 73-72-77-75–297 $17,691

David Toms 76-72-72-77–297 $17,691

John Mallinger 73-75-78-72–298 $16,514

Vijay Singh 71-78-76-73–298 $16,514

Paul Casey 79-70-76-73–298 $16,514

Trevor Immelman 75-73-72-78–298 $16,514

a-Derek Fathauer 73-73-78-75–299

D.A. Points 74-71-77-77–299 $15,778

Andrew Dresser 76-73-79-72–300 $15,189

Andrew Svoboda 77-71-74-78–300 $15,189

Woody Austin 72-72-77-79–300 $15,189

Jesper Parnevik 77-72-77-75–301 $14,306

Ian Leggatt 72-76-76-77–301 $14,306

Justin Hicks 68-80-75-78–301 $14,306

Ross Mcgowan 76-72-78-77–303 $13,718

Rich Beem 74-74-80-76–304 $13,276

Chris Kirk 75-74-78-77–304 $13,276

Comings and Goings at the 2008 US Open

This was the first U.S. Open played by Martin Kaymer, winner of the 2010 PGA Championship and 2014 U.S. Open. Kaymer tied for 53rd place. Rickie Fowler, playing as an amateur, made his U.S. Open debut and finished in a tie for 60th. Mark O’Meara, winner of the 1998 Masters and 1998 British Open, missed the cut in his final U.S. Open appearance.

Tiger Woods’ US Open Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

Tiger Woods’ Masters Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

2010 US Open

Tiger Woods in the Majors

The Worst Golf Chokes and Collapses

1995 U.S. Open: Pavin Comes Through in the Clutch

1950 US Open: Hogan’s Triumphant Return

7 Times Golfers Ripped the USGA Over the US Open Golf Course

Sergio Garcia: Masters Champion and Ryder Cup Golf Star

Playoffs at The Masters Tournament

Back-To-Back Masters Winners

Phil Mickelson Masters Record: Wins and Scores

2019 Masters Tournament: Tiger Woods Wins 5th Green Jacket

US Open Scoring Records: Golfers Going Low

1998 US Open: Janzen Gets the Better of Stewart … Again

Tiger Woods’ First PGA Tour Win: The 1996 Las Vegas Invitational

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies

It wasn’t a surprise when Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open. The tournament was played at Torrey Pines, a golf course Woods had already won on six times entering this Open. And, well, he was Tiger Woods: owner of, at the start of the championship, 13 major titles.

But how Woods won it - overcoming injuries that soon after ended his season, beating journeyman Rocco Mediate in a scintillating head-to-head battle - was surprising. And, in retrospect, it’s also surprising that this may have been Woods’ final win in a major championship.

Quick Bits

Winner: Tiger Woods, 283 (final scores below) Dates: June 12-16, 2008 Golf course: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) in La Jolla, Calif. U.S. Open number: This was the 108th time the U.S. Open was played.

Woods’ Injury Issues

Woods had arthroscopic knee surgery several months before the 2008 U.S. Open and missed an earlier part of the PGA Tour season. This tournament was his return to play. So Woods’ injury issues were known entering the tournament, although it was thought he’d overcome them.

At Torrey Pines this week, Woods was in obvious pain on many shots, grimacing as a result of those knee problems. Some of his fellow-competitors even speculated that Woods was making too much of a show of such pain - that, perhaps, he was exaggerating for effect.

He wasn’t. Just nine days after this tournament ended, Woods underwent reconstructive surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. It was also revealed that Woods played the 2008 U.S. Open with stress fractures in his left leg.

The Early Rounds of the 2008 US Open

The U.S. Open often produces early surprises, and the leaders following the first round - Justin Hicks and Kevin Streelman, with 68s - fall into the category. Mediate was among those tied for third at 69.

Woods opened with a 72, but a second-round 68 moved him into a tie for second place. Mediate was also tied for second, one behind Stuart Appleby.

Appleby fell away with a 79 in the third round. And Woods went into the lead at 3-under 210 following a round of 70. One behind was Lee Westwood, with Mediate in third place at 212.

The Final Round: Woods, Mediate and Westwood

The fourth round got off to a poor start for Woods: he double-bogeyed (the third time he did that on No. 1 during the tournament). Then he bogeyed the second hole, so after two holes Woods went from leader to chaser. Through four holes, Mediate led at 2-under, followed by Westwood at 1-under and Woods at even-par.

After nine holes, Westwood was at 2-under, Woods at 1-under and Mediate at even-par. The three continued jockeying for position over the back nine, Mediate birdying Nos. 10 and 14 and bogeying 15; Westwood making bogey on holes 10, 12 and 13 before birdying 14; Woods birdying No. 11, then bogeying Nos. 13 and 15.

Mediate carded the best fourth-round score of the three with a 71. Playing one group ahead of Woods and Westwood, Mediate got into the clubhouse at 1-under 283.

As Woods and Westwood teed off No. 18, they each trailed Mediate by one stroke. And both Woods and Westwood had birdie putts on 72nd hole to tie Mediate. Westwood’s 15-footer didn’t fall.

Then Woods lined up his 12-footer and knocked it into the hole for birdie (eliciting the reaction in the photo above). That birdie tied Woods with Mediate at 1-under 283, requiring an 18-hole Monday playoff.

Woods vs. Mediate in the 2008 US Open Playoff

The playoff was a David-and-Goliath affair: Mediate, 45 years old, years of injury problems, five career PGA Tour wins, no majors. Woods, 32 years old, 64 career PGA Tour wins, 13 majors.

In the middle of the 18-hole playoff, it appeared that Woods might do what everyone expected: run away from Mediate. Tiger led by three after 10 holes. But Mediate reeled Woods back in, evening the score after the 14th, and then taking a 1-stroke lead on the 15th. On the 18th tee, Woods again found himself trailing Mediate by one.

But once again, Woods birdied the 18th hole, which, coupled with Mediate’s par, left them tied again. So it was on to a sudden-death playoff. Woods and Mediate started on the No. 7 hole, and that’s where Mediate finally cracked, scoring a bogey.

Woods parred the hole to win the championship.

For Tiger, the 2008 U.S. Open was his third victory in this championship and his 14th overall major championship victory. In the years since, Woods has not yet won another major.

2008 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores

Results from the 2008 U.S. Open golf tournament played on the par-71 South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif. (x-won playoff; a-amateur):

x-Tiger Woods 72-68-70-73–283 $1,350,000

Rocco Mediate 72-68-70-73–283 $810,000

Lee Westwood 70-71-70-73–284 $491,995

Robert Karlsson 70-70-75-71–286 $307,303

D.J. Trahan 72-69-73-72–286 $307,303

Carl Pettersson 71-71-77-68–287 $220,686

John Merrick 73-72-71-71–287 $220,686

Miguel Angel Jimenez 75-66-74-72–287 $220,686

Heath Slocum 75-74-74-65–288 $160,769

Eric Axley 69-79-71-69–288 $160,769

Brandt Snedeker 76-73-68-71–288 $160,769

Camilo Villegas 73-71-71-73–288 $160,769

Geoff Ogilvy 69-73-72-74–288 $160,769

Stewart Cink 72-73-77-67–289 $122,159

Retief Goosen 76-69-77-67–289 $122,159

Rod Pampling 74-70-75-70–289 $122,159

Ernie Els 70-72-74-73–289 $122,159

Phil Mickelson 71-75-76-68–290 $87,230

Chad Campbell 77-72-71-70–290 $87,230

Ryuji Imada 74-75-70-71–290 $87,230

Brandt Jobe 73-75-69-73–290 $87,230

Sergio Garcia 76-70-70-74–290 $87,230

Mike Weir 73-74-69-74–290 $87,230

Robert Allenby 70-72-73-75–290 $87,230

Hunter Mahan 72-74-69-75–290 $87,230

Adam Scott 73-73-75-70–291 $61,252

Boo Weekley 73-76-70-72–291 $61,252

Anthony Kim 74-75-70-72–291 $61,252

Bart Bryant 75-70-78-69–292 $48,482

a-Michael Thompson 74-73-73-72–292

Steve Stricker 73-76-71-72–292 $48,482

Patrick Sheehan 71-74-74-73–292 $48,482

Jeff Quinney 79-70-70-73–292 $48,482

Scott Verplank 72-72-74-74–292 $48,482

Aaron Baddeley 74-73-71-74–292 $48,482

Pat Perez 75-73-75-70–293 $35,709

Daniel Chopra 73-75-75-70–293 $35,709

Padraig Harrington 78-67-77-71–293 $35,709

Jonathan Mills 72-75-75-71–293 $35,709

Justin Leonard 75-72-75-71–293 $35,709

Andres Romero 71-73-77-72–293 $35,709

Todd Hamilton 74-74-73-72–293 $35,709

Joe Ogilvie 71-76-73-73–293 $35,709

Robert Dinwiddie 73-71-75-74–293 $35,709

Stuart Appleby 69-70-79-75–293 $35,709

Jim Furyk 74-71-73-75–293 $35,709

Oliver Wilson 72-71-74-76–293 $35,709

Jarrod Lyle 75-74-74-71–294 $23,985

John Rollins 75-68-79-72–294 $23,985

Matt Kuchar 73-73-76-72–294 $23,985

Dustin Johnson 74-72-75-73–294 $23,985

Tim Clark 73-72-74-75–294 $23,985

Ben Crane 75-72-77-71–295 $20,251

Soren Hansen 78-70-76-71–295 $20,251

Kevin Streelman 68-77-78-72–295 $20,251

Martin Kaymer 75-70-73-77–295 $20,251

Davis Love III 72-69-76-78–295 $20,251

Stephen Ames 74-74-77-71–296 $20,251

Rory Sabbatini 73-72-75-76–296 $20,251

Nick Watney 73-75-77-72–297 $17,691

a-Rickie Fowler 70-79-76-72–297

Alastair Forsyth 76-73-74-74–297 $17,691

Brett Quigley 73-72-77-75–297 $17,691

David Toms 76-72-72-77–297 $17,691

John Mallinger 73-75-78-72–298 $16,514

Vijay Singh 71-78-76-73–298 $16,514

Paul Casey 79-70-76-73–298 $16,514

Trevor Immelman 75-73-72-78–298 $16,514

a-Derek Fathauer 73-73-78-75–299

D.A. Points 74-71-77-77–299 $15,778

Andrew Dresser 76-73-79-72–300 $15,189

Andrew Svoboda 77-71-74-78–300 $15,189

Woody Austin 72-72-77-79–300 $15,189

Jesper Parnevik 77-72-77-75–301 $14,306

Ian Leggatt 72-76-76-77–301 $14,306

Justin Hicks 68-80-75-78–301 $14,306

Ross Mcgowan 76-72-78-77–303 $13,718

Rich Beem 74-74-80-76–304 $13,276

Chris Kirk 75-74-78-77–304 $13,276

Comings and Goings at the 2008 US Open

This was the first U.S. Open played by Martin Kaymer, winner of the 2010 PGA Championship and 2014 U.S. Open. Kaymer tied for 53rd place. Rickie Fowler, playing as an amateur, made his U.S. Open debut and finished in a tie for 60th. Mark O’Meara, winner of the 1998 Masters and 1998 British Open, missed the cut in his final U.S. Open appearance.

It wasn’t a surprise when Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open. The tournament was played at Torrey Pines, a golf course Woods had already won on six times entering this Open. And, well, he was Tiger Woods: owner of, at the start of the championship, 13 major titles.

But how Woods won it - overcoming injuries that soon after ended his season, beating journeyman Rocco Mediate in a scintillating head-to-head battle - was surprising. And, in retrospect, it’s also surprising that this may have been Woods’ final win in a major championship.

Quick Bits

  • Winner: Tiger Woods, 283 (final scores below)
  • Dates: June 12-16, 2008
  • Golf course: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) in La Jolla, Calif.
  • U.S. Open number: This was the 108th time the U.S. Open was played.

Woods’ Injury Issues

Woods had arthroscopic knee surgery several months before the 2008 U.S. Open and missed an earlier part of the PGA Tour season. This tournament was his return to play. So Woods’ injury issues were known entering the tournament, although it was thought he’d overcome them.

At Torrey Pines this week, Woods was in obvious pain on many shots, grimacing as a result of those knee problems. Some of his fellow-competitors even speculated that Woods was making too much of a show of such pain - that, perhaps, he was exaggerating for effect.

He wasn’t. Just nine days after this tournament ended, Woods underwent reconstructive surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. It was also revealed that Woods played the 2008 U.S. Open with stress fractures in his left leg.

The Early Rounds of the 2008 US Open

The U.S. Open often produces early surprises, and the leaders following the first round - Justin Hicks and Kevin Streelman, with 68s - fall into the category. Mediate was among those tied for third at 69.

Woods opened with a 72, but a second-round 68 moved him into a tie for second place. Mediate was also tied for second, one behind Stuart Appleby.

Appleby fell away with a 79 in the third round. And Woods went into the lead at 3-under 210 following a round of 70. One behind was Lee Westwood, with Mediate in third place at 212.

The Final Round: Woods, Mediate and Westwood

The fourth round got off to a poor start for Woods: he double-bogeyed (the third time he did that on No. 1 during the tournament). Then he bogeyed the second hole, so after two holes Woods went from leader to chaser. Through four holes, Mediate led at 2-under, followed by Westwood at 1-under and Woods at even-par.

After nine holes, Westwood was at 2-under, Woods at 1-under and Mediate at even-par. The three continued jockeying for position over the back nine, Mediate birdying Nos. 10 and 14 and bogeying 15; Westwood making bogey on holes 10, 12 and 13 before birdying 14; Woods birdying No. 11, then bogeying Nos. 13 and 15.

Mediate carded the best fourth-round score of the three with a 71. Playing one group ahead of Woods and Westwood, Mediate got into the clubhouse at 1-under 283.

As Woods and Westwood teed off No. 18, they each trailed Mediate by one stroke. And both Woods and Westwood had birdie putts on 72nd hole to tie Mediate. Westwood’s 15-footer didn’t fall.

Then Woods lined up his 12-footer and knocked it into the hole for birdie (eliciting the reaction in the photo above). That birdie tied Woods with Mediate at 1-under 283, requiring an 18-hole Monday playoff.

Woods vs. Mediate in the 2008 US Open Playoff

The playoff was a David-and-Goliath affair: Mediate, 45 years old, years of injury problems, five career PGA Tour wins, no majors. Woods, 32 years old, 64 career PGA Tour wins, 13 majors.

In the middle of the 18-hole playoff, it appeared that Woods might do what everyone expected: run away from Mediate. Tiger led by three after 10 holes. But Mediate reeled Woods back in, evening the score after the 14th, and then taking a 1-stroke lead on the 15th. On the 18th tee, Woods again found himself trailing Mediate by one.

But once again, Woods birdied the 18th hole, which, coupled with Mediate’s par, left them tied again. So it was on to a sudden-death playoff. Woods and Mediate started on the No. 7 hole, and that’s where Mediate finally cracked, scoring a bogey.

Woods parred the hole to win the championship.

For Tiger, the 2008 U.S. Open was his third victory in this championship and his 14th overall major championship victory. In the years since, Woods has not yet won another major.

2008 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores

Results from the 2008 U.S. Open golf tournament played on the par-71 South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif. (x-won playoff; a-amateur):

x-Tiger Woods 72-68-70-73–283 $1,350,000

Rocco Mediate 72-68-70-73–283 $810,000

Lee Westwood 70-71-70-73–284 $491,995

Robert Karlsson 70-70-75-71–286 $307,303

D.J. Trahan 72-69-73-72–286 $307,303

Carl Pettersson 71-71-77-68–287 $220,686

John Merrick 73-72-71-71–287 $220,686

Miguel Angel Jimenez 75-66-74-72–287 $220,686

Heath Slocum 75-74-74-65–288 $160,769

Eric Axley 69-79-71-69–288 $160,769

Brandt Snedeker 76-73-68-71–288 $160,769

Camilo Villegas 73-71-71-73–288 $160,769

Geoff Ogilvy 69-73-72-74–288 $160,769

Stewart Cink 72-73-77-67–289 $122,159

Retief Goosen 76-69-77-67–289 $122,159

Rod Pampling 74-70-75-70–289 $122,159

Ernie Els 70-72-74-73–289 $122,159

Phil Mickelson 71-75-76-68–290 $87,230

Chad Campbell 77-72-71-70–290 $87,230

Ryuji Imada 74-75-70-71–290 $87,230

Brandt Jobe 73-75-69-73–290 $87,230

Sergio Garcia 76-70-70-74–290 $87,230

Mike Weir 73-74-69-74–290 $87,230

Robert Allenby 70-72-73-75–290 $87,230

Hunter Mahan 72-74-69-75–290 $87,230

Adam Scott 73-73-75-70–291 $61,252

Boo Weekley 73-76-70-72–291 $61,252

Anthony Kim 74-75-70-72–291 $61,252

Bart Bryant 75-70-78-69–292 $48,482

a-Michael Thompson 74-73-73-72–292

Steve Stricker 73-76-71-72–292 $48,482

Patrick Sheehan 71-74-74-73–292 $48,482

Jeff Quinney 79-70-70-73–292 $48,482

Scott Verplank 72-72-74-74–292 $48,482

Aaron Baddeley 74-73-71-74–292 $48,482

Pat Perez 75-73-75-70–293 $35,709

Daniel Chopra 73-75-75-70–293 $35,709

Padraig Harrington 78-67-77-71–293 $35,709

Jonathan Mills 72-75-75-71–293 $35,709

Justin Leonard 75-72-75-71–293 $35,709

Andres Romero 71-73-77-72–293 $35,709

Todd Hamilton 74-74-73-72–293 $35,709

Joe Ogilvie 71-76-73-73–293 $35,709

Robert Dinwiddie 73-71-75-74–293 $35,709

Stuart Appleby 69-70-79-75–293 $35,709

Jim Furyk 74-71-73-75–293 $35,709

Oliver Wilson 72-71-74-76–293 $35,709

Jarrod Lyle 75-74-74-71–294 $23,985

John Rollins 75-68-79-72–294 $23,985

Matt Kuchar 73-73-76-72–294 $23,985

Dustin Johnson 74-72-75-73–294 $23,985

Tim Clark 73-72-74-75–294 $23,985

Ben Crane 75-72-77-71–295 $20,251

Soren Hansen 78-70-76-71–295 $20,251

Kevin Streelman 68-77-78-72–295 $20,251

Martin Kaymer 75-70-73-77–295 $20,251

Davis Love III 72-69-76-78–295 $20,251

Stephen Ames 74-74-77-71–296 $20,251

Rory Sabbatini 73-72-75-76–296 $20,251

Nick Watney 73-75-77-72–297 $17,691

a-Rickie Fowler 70-79-76-72–297

Alastair Forsyth 76-73-74-74–297 $17,691

Brett Quigley 73-72-77-75–297 $17,691

David Toms 76-72-72-77–297 $17,691

John Mallinger 73-75-78-72–298 $16,514

Vijay Singh 71-78-76-73–298 $16,514

Paul Casey 79-70-76-73–298 $16,514

Trevor Immelman 75-73-72-78–298 $16,514

a-Derek Fathauer 73-73-78-75–299

D.A. Points 74-71-77-77–299 $15,778

Andrew Dresser 76-73-79-72–300 $15,189

Andrew Svoboda 77-71-74-78–300 $15,189

Woody Austin 72-72-77-79–300 $15,189

Jesper Parnevik 77-72-77-75–301 $14,306

Ian Leggatt 72-76-76-77–301 $14,306

Justin Hicks 68-80-75-78–301 $14,306

Ross Mcgowan 76-72-78-77–303 $13,718

Rich Beem 74-74-80-76–304 $13,276

Chris Kirk 75-74-78-77–304 $13,276

Comings and Goings at the 2008 US Open

This was the first U.S. Open played by Martin Kaymer, winner of the 2010 PGA Championship and 2014 U.S. Open. Kaymer tied for 53rd place. Rickie Fowler, playing as an amateur, made his U.S. Open debut and finished in a tie for 60th. Mark O’Meara, winner of the 1998 Masters and 1998 British Open, missed the cut in his final U.S. Open appearance.

Comings and Goings at the 2008 US Open

  • This was the first U.S. Open played by Martin Kaymer, winner of the 2010 PGA Championship and 2014 U.S. Open. Kaymer tied for 53rd place.

  • Rickie Fowler, playing as an amateur, made his U.S. Open debut and finished in a tie for 60th.

  • Mark O’Meara, winner of the 1998 Masters and 1998 British Open, missed the cut in his final U.S. Open appearance.

  • Tiger Woods’ US Open Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

  • Tiger Woods’ Masters Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

  • 2010 US Open

  • Tiger Woods in the Majors

  • The Worst Golf Chokes and Collapses

  • 1995 U.S. Open: Pavin Comes Through in the Clutch

  • 1950 US Open: Hogan’s Triumphant Return

  • 7 Times Golfers Ripped the USGA Over the US Open Golf Course

  • Sergio Garcia: Masters Champion and Ryder Cup Golf Star

  • Playoffs at The Masters Tournament

  • Back-To-Back Masters Winners

  • Phil Mickelson Masters Record: Wins and Scores

  • 2019 Masters Tournament: Tiger Woods Wins 5th Green Jacket

  • US Open Scoring Records: Golfers Going Low

  • 1998 US Open: Janzen Gets the Better of Stewart … Again

  • Tiger Woods’ First PGA Tour Win: The 1996 Las Vegas Invitational

Tiger Woods’ US Open Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

Tiger Woods’ US Open Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

Tiger Woods’ Masters Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

Tiger Woods’ Masters Wins, Records and Yearly Scores

2010 US Open

2010 US Open

Tiger Woods in the Majors

Tiger Woods in the Majors

The Worst Golf Chokes and Collapses

The Worst Golf Chokes and Collapses

1995 U.S. Open: Pavin Comes Through in the Clutch

1995 U.S. Open: Pavin Comes Through in the Clutch

1950 US Open: Hogan’s Triumphant Return

1950 US Open: Hogan’s Triumphant Return

7 Times Golfers Ripped the USGA Over the US Open Golf Course

7 Times Golfers Ripped the USGA Over the US Open Golf Course

Sergio Garcia: Masters Champion and Ryder Cup Golf Star

Sergio Garcia: Masters Champion and Ryder Cup Golf Star

Playoffs at The Masters Tournament

Playoffs at The Masters Tournament

Back-To-Back Masters Winners

Back-To-Back Masters Winners

Phil Mickelson Masters Record: Wins and Scores

Phil Mickelson Masters Record: Wins and Scores

2019 Masters Tournament: Tiger Woods Wins 5th Green Jacket

2019 Masters Tournament: Tiger Woods Wins 5th Green Jacket

US Open Scoring Records: Golfers Going Low

US Open Scoring Records: Golfers Going Low

1998 US Open: Janzen Gets the Better of Stewart … Again

1998 US Open: Janzen Gets the Better of Stewart … Again

Tiger Woods’ First PGA Tour Win: The 1996 Las Vegas Invitational

Tiger Woods’ First PGA Tour Win: The 1996 Las Vegas Invitational

Home

Entertainment

Careers

Activities

Humor

About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy

LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

Home

Home

Entertainment

Careers

Activities

Humor

About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy

  • About Us

  • Advertise

  • Careers

  • Privacy Policy

  • Editorial Guidelines

  • Contact

  • Terms of Use

  • EU Privacy

  • Entertainment

  • Careers

  • Activities

  • Humor

LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies