June 16 (Bloomberg) -- Tiger Woods outdueled Rocco Mediate on the first sudden-death hole to win the 108th U.S. Open after the two were tied at the end of an 18-hole playoff, giving the world's top-ranked golfer his 14th major tournament title.

It was the third Open championship for Woods, who earned $1.26 million for the title. Mediate, 158th in the world golf rankings before the tournament, received $756,000.

Woods finished 18 holes at even par, making four birdies and four bogeys at Torrey Pines Golf Course north of San Diego. He won after Mediate put his tee shot on the sudden-death hole, No. 7, into a bunker, and went on to bogey. Woods, 32, raised his record in U.S. PGA Tour playoffs to 11-1.

``This is probably the greatest tournament I've ever had,'' Woods said in a televised interview. ``Today was just unreal, honestly. Ninety holes wasn't enough. We needed one more.''

The victory leaves Woods, who also won the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2002, four behind Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major championships. It was the third time a U.S. Open playoff went past 18 holes.

In 1990, Hale Irwin needed 19 holes at Medinah Country Club to defeat Mike Donald, and Ernie Els took 20 holes at Oakmont Country Club in 1994 to eliminate Loren Roberts. Colin Montgomerie, who was also in that playoff, was eliminated after 18 holes.

A 4-1 Favorite

It was the third playoff win in a major for Woods, who beat Bob May at the 2000 PGA Championship and Chris DiMarco at the 2005 Masters.

Today's round was played under sunny skies in calm wind with about 22,000 lining the par-71 course.

Woods extended a two-stroke, front-nine lead to three after Mediate made his second straight bogey on No. 10. Woods was even-par on the first nine holes, with a pair of birdies and two bogeys. Mediate bogeyed three times on the front nine along with a birdie on the third hole. He missed a hole-in-one on the par-3 by a couple of inches.

Mediate followed the bogey on No. 10 with pars on the next two holes and then three straight birdies to get back to even par for the round.

`Impressive Runs'

``That hat trick was one of the more impressive runs that you can ever have on this golf course,'' Woods said.

Woods bogeyed the 11th and 12th holes, matched Mediate for birdie at 13 and had pars at 14-17, leaving him one stroke behind Mediate, who parred the 16th and 17th, at 1-over par.

At the 18th, Mediate missed a 15-foot birdie attempt that would have given him the tournament, while Woods birdied the hole to force sudden death.

The golfers moved to the 7th hole, where Woods made par and Mediate bogeyed.

``I just about got him,'' Mediate said. ``I had trouble with that 7th-hole tee shot all week.''

Mediate, who is from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and now lives in Florida, made the tournament after surviving a playoff in the qualifying rounds. He raised his world ranking 111 spots to 47th with the runner-up finish.

``It was like a prize fight,'' Mediate told reporters after the match. ``Nobody expected me to last that long. I hit a bad tee shot on the last hole, but over the first 18 holes, I can't give much more. It was just an honor being out there with him.''

33rd Playoff

Woods forced the 33rd playoff in U.S. Open history yesterday by sinking a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole. He and Mediate finished at 1-under after four rounds, the first players to finish below par at the U.S. Open since 2004.

Mediate was 2-0 in playoffs entering today, with the victories coming in 1991 and 1993. The last of his five PGA Tour wins came in 2002, a span of 138 starts, as he's been plagued by back problems in recent years. Mediate, who last season spent some time as a golf announcer, is five months older than Irwin was when he won the U.S. Open in 1990.

Woods is the first U.S. PGA Tour player to win tournaments seven times on the same course. He also won the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in 1999, 2003 and 2005-08.

Woods has now won 34 PGA Tour titles, including seven majors, since Mediate's last victory.

After the round, Woods was asked about his health of his knee, which caused him to wince in pain during many tee shots throughout the five-day event.

``I'm glad I'm done,'' he said. ``I really don't feel like playing anymore. The atmosphere is what kept me going.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net; Larry DiTore in New York at lditore@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 16, 2008 18:06 EDT