Woods forces US Open playoff (+pics)

'You can never expect him to miss'

Tiger Woods rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the last early this afternoon (NZ time) to join fellow American Rocco Mediate in an 18-hole playoff for the 108th US Open.

The pair will return to the Torrey Pines course for the playoff tomorrow morning (NZ time), starting at 4 o'clock.

Heavy favourite to win his 14th major title after going into today's round a stroke in front of the chasing pack, Woods pumped his right fist in celebration after the putt dropped.

"It was a little wobbly down there," the world No 1 told reporters of his dramatic putt, the first of any distance he made on the day.

"I figured I'd put the ball about two-and-a-half balls to the right and see what happened."

Mediate, who would have become the oldest player to win the title had Woods missed, led by a shot with one hole to play.

"You can't ever expect him to miss," he said. "I will just have to get ready for a battle royale tomorrow."

The pair finished the 72 regulation holes at one-under-par 283 on a difficult afternoon of scoring on the South Course at Torrey Pines.

Twice champion Woods, who has never lost a major when holding at least a share of the lead after 54 holes, closed with a two-over 73 after Mediate had signed off with a 71.

It is the first time the US Open will be decided in a playoff since South African Retief Goosen beat American Mark Brooks at Southern Hills in 2001.

Britain's Lee Westwood, aiming to become the first European winner since fellow Englishman Tony Jacklin in 1970, had to settle for third place one shot back after carding a 73.

Mediate, Woods and Westwood each held the outright lead the final round unfolded in scrappy fashion, with pars at a premium.

Woods, US Open champion in 2000 and 2002, made an ugly start by dropping three shots in the first two holes.

He double-bogeyed the first after pulling his tee shot well left of the cart path and hitting trees with his second and third shots.

Woods, who had surgery on his left knee two months ago, also faltered on the par-four second after pushing his tee shot into the right rough.

The 32-year-old briefly grimaced in pain after his errant drive, struck his approach on to the green and three-putted for bogey to slide to even par.

He parred the next six holes before picking up his first shot at the par-five ninth where he reached the green in two.

Out in two-over 37, he narrowly missed a curling 10-footer for birdie at the 10th but made amends at the par-three 11th where he used the contours of the green to hit his tee shot to five feet.

Woods coolly rolled in the putt to edge one stroke clear at two under, sparking a huge roar from the gallery packed around the green.

However, he surrendered the initiative by bogeying the par-five 13th where he had to take a penalty drop.

Woods, who had eagled the hole in the previous two rounds, reached the elevated green with his fourth and two-putted for a six to slip back to one under.

Mediate edged ahead after collecting his third birdie of the round at the 398 metre 14th where he drove into a greenside bunker and got up and down.

Although he bogeyed the 15th to slip back to one under, Woods faltered at the same hole after missing the fairway to the right before forcing the playoff at the last.

Completed scores:

283 Rocco Mediate 69 71 72 71 Tiger Woods 72 68 70 73 (title to be decided in an 18-hole playoff).

284 Lee Westwood (Britain) 70 71 70 73.

286 Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 70 70 75 71, D.J. Trahan 72 69 73 72.

287 Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 71 71 77 68 John Merrick 73 72 71 71 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 75 66 74 72.

288 Heath Slocum 75 74 74 65 Eric Axley 69 79 71 69 Brandt Snedeker 76 73 68 71 Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 73 71 71 73 Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 69 73 72 74.

289 Stewart Cink 72 73 77 67 Retief Goosen (South Africa) 76 69 77 67 Rod Pampling (Australia) 74 70 75 70 Ernie Els (South Africa) 70 72 74 73.

290 Phil Mickelson 71 75 76 68 Chad Campbell 77 72 71 70 Ryuji Imada (Japan) 74 75 70 71 Brandt Jobe 73 75 69 73 Mike Weir (Canada) 73 74 69 74 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 76 70 70 74 Robert Allenby (Australia) 70 72 73 75 Hunter Mahan 72 74 69 75.

291 Adam Scott (Australia) 73 73 75 70 Anthony Kim 74 75 70 72 Boo Weekley 73 76 70 72.

292 Bart Bryant 75 70 78 69 Michael Thompson * 74 73 73 72 Steve Stricker 73 76 71 72 Patrick Sheehan 71 74 74 73 Jeff Quinney 79 70 70 73 Scott Verplank 72 72 74 74 Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 74 73 71 74.

293 Pat Perez 75 73 75 70 Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 73 75 75 70 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 78 67 77 71 Jonathan Mills (Canada) 72 75 75 71 Justin Leonard 75 72 75 71 Andres Romero (Argentina) 71 73 77 72 Todd Hamilton 74 74 73 73 Joe Ogilvie 71 76 73 73 Robert Dinwiddie (Britain) 73 71 75 74 Stuart Appleby (Australia) 69 70 79 75 Jim Furyk 74 71 73 75 Oliver Wilson (Britain) 72 71 74 76.

294 Jarrod Lyle (Australia) 75 74 74 71 John Rollins 75 68 79 72 Matt Kuchar 73 73 76 72 Dustin Johnson 74 72 75 73 Tim Clark (South Africa) 73 72 74 75.

295 Ben Crane 75 72 77 71 Soren Hansen (Denmark) 78 80 76 71 Kevin Streelman 68 77 78 72 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 75 70 73 77 Davis Love III 72 69 76 78.

296 Stephen Ames (Canada) 74 74 77 71 Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 73 72 75 76.

297 Nick Watney 73 75 77 72 Rickie Fowler * 70 79 76 72 Alastair Forsyth (Britain) 76 73 74 74 Brett Quigley 73 72 77 75 David Toms 76 72 72 77.

298 John Mallinger 73 75 78 72 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 71 78 76 73 Paul Casey (Britain) 79 70 76 73 Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 75 73 72 78.

299 Derek Fathauer * 73 73 78 75 D.A. Points 74 71 77 77.

300 Andrew Dresser 76 73 79 72 Andrew Svoboda 77 71 74 78 Woody Austin 72 72 77 79.

301 Jesper Parnevik (Sweden) 77 72 77 75 Ian Leggatt (Canada) 72 76 76 77 Justin Hicks 68 80 75 78.

303 Ross McGowan (Britain) 76 72 78 77.

304 Rich Beem 74 74 80 76 Chris Kirk 75 74 78 77.

WD Luke Donald (Britain) withdrew after 14 holes at six over for the tournament, following earlier scores of 71 71 77.

-Reuters