U.S. Open Update: Tiger & Rocco Square Off

By John Nestor
Golf Editor

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Rocco Mediate nearly won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines on Sunday. Tiger Woods will have something to say about that on Monday. With Mediate holding a one-stroke lead and watching from a scoring booth, Woods holed a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to force an 18-hole playoff Monday.

"Unbelievable, I knew he would make it," Mediate said after Woods' putt wrapped around half the cup before dropping. "That's actually one of the worst parts of the green, it's so bumpy down there," Woods said. "I told myself it was two-and-a-half balls outside to the right, but make sure you stay committed to it. And I did. I hit it good. It took forever to break, but it finally snuck in there at the end." Mediate shot an even-par 71 to finish at 1-under 283. Woods, who played his first two holes in 3-over, signed for a 73.

The U.S. Open is decided by an 18-hole stroke play playoff, which will get underway at 9 a.m. local time. Mediate had a chance for a two-stroke lead but missed a birdie putt at 17 from about 10 feet. He had another chance at 18 from 35 feet, but had to settle for par and wait for the final group to finish. "I was trying to beat him on my putt, my 35-footer," Mediate said. "I just didn't quite get it out there. But anyway, I made good putts on 16 and 17 just to be here. What can you do?" Not much more than he did Sunday. Mediate was two strokes better than Woods for the day and has only one over-par round this week - a 72 on Saturday.