Tiger Woods led Rocco Mediate by three shots after 10 holes, and it appeared their U.S. Open playoff was headed for a less-than-dramatic finish. Even Mediate said, “I thought it was going to be over with quick.” But with some help from Woods, not to mention three straight birdies of his own, Mediate rallied. Here's a capsule look at the final nine holes of the match:

No. 11 (par 4) – Woods hits his tee shot in the left bunker and is unable to get up and down to match Mediate's two-putt par. Woods +1, Mediate +3

No. 12 (par 4) – Woods drives into the fairway bunker, comes out well short of the green and misses a 15-foot putt for par. Mediate misses a putt of similar length for birdie but makes par. Woods +2, Mediate +3

No. 13 (par 5) – Mediate goes for the green in two but winds up in the bunker. He blasts out to about 4 feet and makes the birdie putt. Woods comes up short on a 35-foot eagle putt but converts the birdie. Woods +1, Mediate +2

No. 14 (par 4) – Woods laid up on this hole Sunday but after seeing Mediate hit just short of the green off the tee, pulls out his 3-wood and winds up in the rough near the green. But he doesn't hit a good chip and watches a 10-foot birdie putt go around the lip and out. Mediate chips up close and makes another birdie. Woods +1, Mediate +1

No. 15 (par 4) – Mediate drives it down the fairway and puts his approach about 25 feet from the cup. Woods blows his drive so far right that it lands in the bunker next to the fairway on No. 9, but he hits a spectacular approach within about 12 feet. It's Mediate, however, who makes his birdie, and Woods falls behind for the first time since the fifth hole. Mediate E, Woods +1

No. 16 (par 3) – Mediate's 4-iron comes up short of the green, about 65 feet from the hole, and he two-putts for par. Woods comes up an inch short on a 45-foot birdie putt that would have tied the match. Mediate E, Woods +1

No. 17 (par 4) – Mediate just misses the fairway but gets on the green and two-putts for par from more than 40 feet away. Woods again comes up short on a birdie putt, this time from 20 feet. Mediate E, Woods +1

No. 18 (par 5) – Needing to play this hole in one shot fewer than Mediate to extend the match, Woods nails a 308-yard drive and puts his second shot about 45 feet from the cup. He misses the eagle putt but knocks in a 4-footer for birdie. Mediate can win with a birdie, but he drives into the fairway bunker and his approach is about 20 feet from the hole. He two-putts for par and it's off to double-overtime. Mediate E, Woods E

No. 7 (par 4) – While Woods plays the hole perfectly, with a drive in the fairway and a two-putt from about 20 feet, Mediate drives it in the bunker and hits his second shot off the grandstand left of the hole. Needing to make a 25-foot par putt to extend the match, he misses. Woods E, Mediate +1

– JAY POSNER