I mean, could the story of his latest and perhaps greatest victory have been any better?
It was equal parts impressive and inspiring. It was more than playing superb golf and surviving the game’s toughest test; it was a testament to having the willpower to overcome physical pain and mental fatigue to achieve a grand goal.
After Woods had surgery to clean out his left knee following his runner-up finish at the Masters and missed the next two months, it would have been amazing enough for him to return and capture his third U.S. Open and his 14th major.
But Woods didn’t simply win.
As we saw from the first round through the Monday playoff with Rocco Mediate, Tiger won while playing on a left leg that wasn’t even close to 100 percent, as evidenced by his grimacing, stooping and limping.
As we learned from Woods on Wednesday, he won while playing on a left leg that has had a torn knee ligament for more than 10 months and then suffered two stress fractures in his left tibia two weeks before the Open.
And Woods didn’t have to endure only 72 holes on a 7,643-yard course, the longest in major championship history. He also had to make it through the 18-hole playoff plus one sudden-death hole for a staggering total of 91 holes in five days.
It wasn’t surprising, then, what Woods said about his triumph: “I think this is probably the best ever. All things considered, I don’t know how I ended up in this position. It was a long week.”
Two days later, Woods revealed that he shot down his doctors’ advice by playing the U.S. Open, and he announced that he’ll have season-ending knee surgery, knocking him out of the British Open (he’s won two of the last three), PGA Championship (he’s the two-time defending champion), Ryder Cup and four playoff events for the FedEx Cup (he was the inaugural winner).
In explaining his decision, Woods said, “I was determined to do everything and anything in my power to play in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, which is a course that is close to where I grew up and holds many special memories for me.”
That statement says it all about Woods.
For him, the pain he experienced and the risk of further injury were worth the opportunity to compete for his national championship at Torrey Pines, the first-time U.S. Open venue where he has won the Buick Invitational a record six times, plus a World Junior Championship.
Of course, Woods didn’t play his best this time at Torrey. His drives, obviously affected by the bum leg, often sailed into the thick rough, and he made three double bogeys on the first hole alone.
But in traditional Tiger fashion, he produced a collection of highlights that will be replayed and recalled for decades.
Featured the first two rounds in a group with San Diego native son and second-ranked Phil Mickelson (who phizzled to an 18th-place tie) and No. 3 Adam Scott (still not ready for prime time after sharing 26th), Woods didn’t really get going until he fired a back-nine 30 on Friday.
On Saturday he drilled a 70-foot eagle putt on No. 13, made a fortunate one-hop chip-in at the 17th and rolled in a 30-footer for eagle at No. 18 to seize a one-shot lead.
Then in Sunday’s final round, 45-year-old PGA Tour veteran but zero-time major winner Mediate played well and reached the clubhouse at 1 under par for a one-stroke edge, while Woods and Lee Westwood battled Torrey without much success.
Needing a birdie at the par-5 18th to tie Mediate and an eagle to win, Woods needed three shots just to get within 12 feet of the pin. Facing a must-have birdie putt on a bumpy green, he used all of the back-right edge of the cup before his ball disappeared, prompting a classic Tiger fist-pump moment that sent the huge gallery into a frenzy.
Watching on a nearby TV, the affable Mediate said, “Unbelievable. I knew he’d make it.”
Watching on our couches, so did we, right?
Woods built a three-shot lead over Mediate in Monday’s 18-hole playoff, then his friend rallied with some great golf and took a one-shot edge to 18. But Tiger easily reached the green in two and buried a 4-foot birdie putt after Mediate missed a 20-footer for the win, forcing a sudden-death hole.
And when Woods made a routine par at No. 7 and Mediate’s last-gasp putt missed, a clearly relieved Tiger had completed his grittiest victory.
At 32, Woods stands - on one bad leg, for now - with 65 PGA Tour wins and four majors from Nicklaus’s mark. He has won all four majors at least three times each, while none of his so-called rivals has captured more than three major titles.
Whereas the talk used to be about who would step up and challenge Woods, now it’s about what he will accomplish next.
And although Tiger won’t add to his legendary résumé until next year, what he achieved and proved in this U.S. Open will be powerful enough to last sports fans until then - and beyond.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
