When Tiger Woods grabbed a Major win in 2008 despite his caddie asking him to quit

Tiger Woods' 2008 U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines was one of the most heroic performances in the golf world. Despite battling a torn ACL and two stress fractures in his left leg, Woods competed across 91 holes and won his 14th major title. Now, NUCLR GOLF has shared a flashback video of Woods' 2008 match and captioned his infamous reactions towards his caddie, Steve Williams.

The X post shared on June 8 reads:

"Tiger Woods caddie told him it might be time to quit after hearing his knee crack during the 2008 U.S. Open.. his response was legendary: “Stevie, f**k you, I’m winning this tournament.” TWlegion

Tiger's quote to Steve Williams is still popular in the golf world. What made his victory special is that Tiger Woods had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery just two months before the tournament. Additionally, Tiger Woods shot rounds of 72, 68, 70, and 73 over four days, eventually tying veteran Rocco Mediate at 283 (-1) after 72 holes.

The two went head-to-head in an 18-hole Monday playoff. After another tie, the battle went to a sudden death. On the first extra hole, Woods made par on the 91st, while Mediate bogeyed.

One day after his victory, Woods announced that he would be sidelined for the remainder of the 2008 season to undergo ACL reconstructive surgery. The 2008 U.S. Open would be Tiger's last major win until the 2019 Masters, ending an 11-year drought. With that, let's learn if Tiger Woods is competing at the upcoming 2025 U.S. Open.

Is Tiger Woods appearing at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont?

Tiger Woods will not tee it up at the 2025 U.S. Open, marking yet another absence from the major championship. Woods is currently recovering from his Achilles tendon surgery performed in March. The three-time champion has won this tournament in 2000, 2002, and 2008. Since 2014, Wood has only managed to play the weekend once, finishing T21 at Pebble Beach in 2019.

In 2024, the USGA granted Woods a rare special exemption to play at Pinehurst. That week ended in disappointment as he once again missed the cut. Only 34 such exemptions have been handed out since 1966, to golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Hale Irwin.

Unlike the Masters or the PGA Championship, where former winners are allowed to play, the U.S. Open offers only a 10-year exemption for past champions. That window closed for Woods after his iconic 2008 win at Torrey Pines. There's no timeline yet for his return, but he could appear at the PNC Championship in December. It's the family event where he typically partners with his son, Charlie Woods.

Oakmont Country Club is a course with memories for Tiger. In 2007, he finished just one stroke behind the winner, Angel Cabrera.