Tiger Woods - Articles - Zimbio

The Greatest Comeback in Golf History

Thu, 3 Oct 2008 13:58:13 GMT

posted by adminliviu

As Tiger Woods watched Rocco Mediate birdie the first hole of their US Open playoff in June 2008, golf fans also knew that they were watching something special. Woods is no stranger to gripping finishes in major tournaments, yet there was something different about Woods’ exploits at the 2008 US Open.

Tiger Woods went into the 2008 US Open after a two-month layoff during which he had to undergo knee surgery. After starting the 2008 golf season as a favourite to take all four majors, Woods was watching the season slip away from him as indifferent form and injury took their toll.

While being some way off his best form, Tiger Woods held on for the first two rounds of the 2008 US Open, playing through the pain barrier to stay in touch with the tournament leader. Despite his lack of form, touches of genius by Woods saw him edge into the lead going into the final day of play.

Mediate Dominates

Rocco Mediate took the lead in the tournament early on the 4th day, before Woods slowly but surely hunted him down. The 45 year old was in the clubhouse with a 1-stroke lead when Woods strode onto the 18th green needing to make a birdie. Woods duly sunk the shot, forcing an 18-hole playoff.

Remarkably, Mediate held his nerve as the tournament entered an additional day of play for the first time since 2001. The American watched Woods build a three-stroke lead on the front nine, before launching a comeback of his own on the back nine to take the lead on the 18th hole.

Mediate’s brilliance over the back nine, which included 3 successive birdies, looked certain to end Woods’ brave campaign. The world number one required a birdie on the final hole, and this seemed to be too much to ask of a golfer who had given all that he could to push the tournament into a playoff.

Sudden Death

Woods refused to give up, and Mediate was forced to watch in amazement as Woods produced a birdie to order, forcing a sudden death playoff. Watching Woods snatch salvation from the jaws of defeat for the second day running proved to be too much for Mediate, whose game crumbled on the first hole of the sudden death playoff.

Despite pain and fatigue, Woods remained steady on the first hole of the playoff, scoring par and transferring all the pressure onto Mediate. Mediate’s nerves were not up to the final act of the tournament, and the 45 year old pulled two shots, with his second finding a bunker. Mediate found the green on his third shot, leaving himself with a 12-foot putt for par.

Victory!

There are few players of the calibre of Tiger Woods in world golf, as Mediate discovered when his make or break putt curved painfully to the right of the 18th hole, handing the 2008 US Open title to Woods. The victory was instantly hailed as one of Woods’ greatest, as well as one of the most triumphant comebacks in golf history.

Injury Woes

However, Woods’ achievement at the 2008 US Open came at a heavy cost. Five days of play served to aggravate his knee injury, and a medical check-up revealed the sensational fact that Woods had played through, and won, the 2008 US Open despite having a double stress fracture of his left tibia. The injury was severe enough to rule Woods out of competition for the remainder of the 2008 golf season including the US PGA Championship in which he will not be defending his title.

SOURCE: link > PGA Championship
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Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All-Play (Wii) - Brand NEW

Mon, 11 Nov 2008 06:12:08 GMT

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Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08

Mon, 14 Oct 2008 06:51:00 GMT

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Tiger Woods Expecting Second Child

Mon, 2 Sep 2008 21:39:45 GMT

posted by tatiana
Tiger Woods kisses the trophy after winning on the first sudden death playoff hole during the playoff round of the 108th U.S. Open at the Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) on June 16, 2008 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images North America)
Professional golfer Tiger Woods is expecting yet another future golf prodigy. Woods announced today that his wife, Elin Nordegren , is expecting the couples' second child this winter.

"Elin is feeling great and we are both thrilled," Woods wrote on his Web site. "While my injury has been disappointing and frusttrating, it has allowed me to spend a lot of time watching Sam grow. The injury has been a blessing and a disappointment."

Woods had reconstructive surgery on his left knee two weeks after his U.S. Open victory in June.

The couple already has a daughter, Sam, who was born the Monday after the 2007 U.S. Open.

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Tiger Woods Names Strong Field for World Challenge

Tue, 1 Oct 2008 15:14:00 GMT

posted by tees2greens
Tournament host Tiger Woods has announced a strong field featuring five of the world’s top 10 players for the year-ending Chevron World Challenge.

The 16-man line-up includes Fiji’s Vijay Singh (ranked third), British Open and PGA champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland (fourth), Americans Anthony Kim (sixth) and Jim Furyk (10th) and Colombian Camilo Villegas (seventh).

World number one Woods, however, will be a conspicuous absentee from the field, having shut down his 2008 campaign in mid-June after winning the U.S. Open to have reconstructive knee surgery.

“Unfortunately I can’t play that incredible golf course,” the 14-times major winner said during a teleconference on Monday. “I can only cheer from the sidelines in a cart.

“So it will be a different kind of week for me, a lot of eating, a lot of sitting in there and grubbing.”

Asked how his rehabilitation was going, the 32-year-old American replied: “No matter how much you try and do, you really can’t speed up that process.

“That puts me into January. And unfortunately, I can’t rotate; I can’t practise on that leg until then. That’s just a natural healing process of any ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), for the graft to take.

“As far as getting back next year, I’m really focused on trying to get my body healthy for so that I can compete at a high level and get to where I can compete down the stretch in events again.”

Woods, a four-times winner of his own tournament, was delighted with the quality of this year’s field.

“Hosting the 10th year of this tournament is special,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to being back in Southern California to watch this stellar field compete.”

The $5.75 million event will be held at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California from Dec. 18-21.

Proceeds from the invitational event go toward Tiger Woods Foundation projects and the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim.

The full field is: Singh, Villegas, Kim, Steve Stricker, Furyk, Harrington, Fred Couples, Paul Casey, Boo Weekley, Hunter Mahan, K.J. Choi, Kenny Perry, Justin Leonard, Mike Weir, Luke Donald and Stephen Ames.