U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 16, 2008

Tiger Woods

Q. Congratulations.

TIGER WOODS: Thanks, man.

Q. The greatest tournament I ever had, I heard you say that out there.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah. All things considered, yeah. I don't know how it even got this far, but I'm very, very fortunate to have played 91 holes and then come out on top.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: It's unreal. I understand why my dad was so emotional in 2002 when I won and I brought it back to him. I understand now, now that I am a father, how he felt to have my daughter there and to have Elin there, it means so much more when you do it. Obviously it's not Father's Day, but close enough.

Q. For a guy who's been through as much as you had did you even learn something about yourself this week?

TIGER WOODS: Well, just keep going forward. I dealt with a few things this week and just had to keep plugging along, wasn't feeling my best. Didn't get off to the greatest of starts. Today finally got off to a good start. But I screwed that up. I buried it in the bunker on 3 there.

So it's just one of those things where it all week I just happened to get off to just such slow starts and just had to keep battling back, battle back, battle back, and today was another example of that.

Q. Learn anything about Rocco?

TIGER WOODS: I already knew that about Rocco. He's not only one of the nicest guys, but people don't realize how much of a competitor he is.

Q. How is the knee?

TIGER WOODS: He's finally healthy. And when Rocco's healthy, he's a hell of a player. Just he hasn't been healthy in years. So now he's finally able to swing the way he can swing and then look at the results. This is what he can do when he's healthy.

Q. There was a difference with your knee today than yesterday clearly all day. How did it feel and was there a difference? As far as you're concerned?

TIGER WOODS: No, not really. No.

Q. Really, no difference?

TIGER WOODS: No.

Q. The British Open, are you -- you said you're going to take some time off?

TIGER WOODS: I'll take a little time off.

Q. Is that your next one?

TIGER WOODS: I hope so.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: I missed that putt there at 14, I felt like I was still in control of the tournament until I missed that putt. Then all of a sudden, okay, here we go. Now it's a ball game, now we're all tied up.

Then he hit that putt there at 15 and if it doesn't hit the hole it's like 10, 12 feet by. But he hit it dead center and it went in. I missed mine on the top side and it was going a lot slower and it still went four feet by and I was like, oh, here we go. If I miss this putt, the tournament's over.

I made that putt, thought I made the next one at 16, it's like, oh, geez, here we go. I need something, I need to birdie the last two holes. And it came down to 18, Roc made a mistake, didn't put the ball in the fairway, didn't give himself a chance to go for it in two. I did, and I figured that at least put myself in position where if I had to make a long one, at least I was in position to make one.

I wasn't going after that pin, but at least give myself a chance to, if I had to make a putt, if he stuffed it in there, at least I had a chance. And I played a little conservative on my second shot.

And then Roc hit it over there about 18 feet and when he did that I knew four was probably going to get me into a playoff. Sorry, playoff, playoff. So that ended up being what happened and we ended up going down 7.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: You keep playing. Whatever it is. I was, I felt that if we would have gone yesterday I was probably in better shape to go yesterday than today. Just because I had all the momentum. I just made that huge putt. And Roc, I think he admitted he was a little bit deflated. If it would have gone to a playoff right there, then I would have had the advantage. But today it's all square. Here we go.

So I just, again, it basically it's what we dealt with at the old Dunhill Cup back at St. Andrews, it's stroke match. And go ahead and just try and beat that one guy.

Q. Where does this -- the atmosphere and on a Monday?

TIGER WOODS: Unreal. Unbelievable, really. It's hard to believe that the atmosphere today was almost as loud as it was yesterday. And this is on a Monday. So for everyone to come out and support this event and to show this type of enthusiasm we as players thank them because this is what makes the event is to have that kind of atmosphere.

Q. Torrey Pines has always been special to you, is it more special now? How much does that grow in your heart?

TIGER WOODS: It does. I always loved playing down here ever since I played as a junior. And now that I come back here and to play as a professional and then now a Major Championship on top of that, and to have won, it's an unbelievable feeling, really.

Q. What do you say to the kids out here?

TIGER WOODS: Just, well, hopefully their summer break started the right way. Thank you for coming out and supporting us and I hope they learned a lot and I hope they come out again.

Q. Where does this trophy rank with the other 13 Majors, Tiger?

TIGER WOODS: I think this is the best. Just because of all of the things I had to deal with. This is probably, it's a close one to the first one I won. But with all the things considered this week, yeah.

Q. First major, first U.S. Open?

TIGER WOODS: First Major. Yeah.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, it seemed like all week I was in that position to try and get myself a chance. And all of a sudden here I'm the guy waiting to see what would happen. But this time I was in the driver's seat, because if he misses it's over. And instead of that being a birdie putt and if he makes it, it's over for me.

I hit that putt, my putt I thought I hit it perfect. I thought I pured it in and just probably two revolutions short. And I felt Roc was going to make that putt. He's putted well all day, he's had good speed and that green's a little more crusty and it just stayed on the high side.

Q. What about the way Rocco handled the pressure today. He said he knew he could play good golf, but this is a whole different deal.

TIGER WOODS: Rocco is, he was just, he was loose all day. He was out there talking, and having a great time enjoying the atmosphere and then -- he reminds me a lot of Trevino how he plays. Just talking and enjoying it and smiling and having a great time with it. But when it comes down to it, when it's time to hit the shot, he goes into his own little world. People don't realize that. After he does hit the shot he comes out and goes, blah, blah, blah, having a good time. But right before each shot he gets into his own little zone. And it's pretty cool to see.

Q. Did you miss that thing the last six years?

TIGER WOODS: I've come close. I've come awfully close and it's finally nice to get it again.