Tiger Woods, in agony and in danger it seemed of having to pull out of the US Open last Friday, completed a simply staggering victory on Monday.
On the very day he reached 500 weeks as world number one, Woods took his total of majors to 14 - just four short of Jack Nicklaus's record - after a marathon duel with fellow American Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines.
After staying alive with a 15-foot putt on Sunday Woods again birdied the last to stop 45-year-old qualifier Mediate becoming the championship's oldest winner.
They were both round in level par 71s as a result, Mediate having come from three down after 10 to lead by one on the final tee.
Woods then won his own version of the "Battle of Wounded Knee" when his opponent, ranked 158th in the world, bogeyed the first extra hole of sudden death. Their 91st of the week.
In his first event since surgery on his left knee straight after the Masters in April, Woods made it a remarkable five straight victories at the San Diego venue and took his on-course career earnings through the 100 million US dollars mark.
If not the greatest victory of all the 87 he has now had as a professional, it was certainly the most unlikely when he started with a double bogey and appeared miles short of full fitness.
His play-off record now, though, is a stunning 16-3 - and, of course, he has maintained his record of winning every single major he has led after 54 holes. All 14 of them, that is.
After Woods, battling as he had all week with the pain in his left knee, had bogeyed the 11th and 12th Mediate birdied the next three and went one ahead.
The last of those was with a 25-foot downhill putt after the 13-major winner had conjured up a magical recovery from a bunker on the wrong hole.
Woods, having missed from 12 feet there, almost made a 50-footer on the next and could not convert a 22-foot chance at the 17th.
Mediate, though, opened the door by driving into a bunker on the last. He had to lay up short of the water, whereas twice champion Woods hit a three-iron onto the green and two-putted.
Sudden death began on the seventh hole and there it ended as well when Mediate was in a bunker, missed the green and failed to get up and down.
TIGER WOODS FACTFILE
1975: Born December 30, Cypress, California, son of retired US Army lieutenant colonel Earl Woods and Thai-born wife Kultida. Named Eldrick but nicknamed Tiger after a Vietnamese soldier befriended by Earl.
1976: Aged six months, watched his father hit golf balls into a net and imitated his swing.
1978: Appears on a television show putting with Bob Hope.
1979: Shoots 48 for nine holes aged three.
1991: Youngest ever winner of the US Junior championship aged 15.
1992: First player to win the US Junior championship twice. Makes US Tour debut.
1994: Youngest winner of the US Amateur championship, coming back from six holes down after 13 in the 36-hole final.
1995: Makes the cut on his Masters debut.
1996: Equals the lowest-ever total by an amateur in the Open, finishing 22nd at Lytham. Wins his third US Amateur title after being two down with three to play. Turns professional and signs a reported Ј25million five-year deal with Nike.
1997: Becomes youngest winner of the Masters with a record 18-under-par total that also saw him win by the largest-ever margin - 12 strokes.
1998: No major wins but finished in the top 20 of each.
1999: Member of the winning US Ryder Cup team at Brookline, Boston.
2000: Wins US Open at Pebble Beach with a record total in relation to par of 12 under and a record winning margin of 15 strokes. Wins the Open championship at St Andrews by eight shots, finishing 19 under par. Wins the US PGA championship.
2001: Wins his second Masters title to become the first player ever to hold all four professional Majors at the same time, dubbed the 'Tiger Slam'.
2002: Wins back-to-back Masters titles to match the achievement of Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo. Claims his second US Open title at Bethpage, becoming the first player ever to lead the tournament twice from start to finish.
2003: Breaks Byron Nelson's record for consecutive cuts made with his 114th straight at the Tour Championship.
2004: Surpasses the 40million US dollar mark for career earnings at the year's opening event, the Mercedes Championship, and makes it 40 US Tour wins when beating Davis Love in the final.
2005: Wins fourth Masters title in a play-off with Chris DiMarco and is second to New Zealand's Michael Campbell in the US Open. Cruises to victory in the Open championship at St Andrews, leaving Colin Montgomerie five shots behind in second.
2006: April - Third in the US Masters behind Phil Mickelson.
June - Misses his first cut in 38 majors as a professional at the US Open following nine-week lay-off after the death of his father, Earl.
July 23 - Wins third Open title at Hoylake by two shots from DiMarco with 18-under-par total of 270.
August 6 - Wins Buick Open, his 50th PGA Tour victory.
August 20 - Wins 12th major title, the US PGA at Medinah, continuing his record of never having lost a major when leading heading into the final round.
2007: June : Becomes a father for the first time after wife Elin gives birth to a daughter, Sam Alexis, less than 24 hours after finishing second at the US Open.
August 12 - Claims 13th major by successfully defending his US PGA title, extending his record of never having lost a major when leading heading into the final round.
2008: April 15 - Undergoes third left knee arthroscopic operation, missing two months of the season.
June 16 - Returns to action by winning third US Open title at Torrey Pines after an 18-hole play-off against Rocco Mediate. The result elevates him to outright third place ahead of Ben Hogan in the all-time list of PGA Tour title wins.
Agent claims Gunners talks
WOODS OPTS FOR OPEN RETURN
WOODS GOES UNDER KNIFE
