SAN DIEGO - Eighteen holes wasn't enough. Tiger Woods birdied the final hole to pull back to a tie with Rocco Mediate and send the U.S. Open into a sudden death playoff and then birdied on the first hole in a sudden death playoff to win his 14th major Monday.

Each player shot even-par 71 at Torrey Pines, so the playoff continued, starting on the par-4 seventh hole. It was there that Woods scored a par, besting the underdog Mediate.

Woods blew a three-shot lead and trailed by one, but got onto the par-5 18th hole in two and made a four-foot putt for birdie. Mediate had a chance to win the tournament with a 20-foot birdie putt of his own, but he missed and had to make a testy three-foot comebacker to stay tied.

This marked only the third time a U.S. Open playoff has gone beyond 18 holes. The last was 1994, when Ernie Els and Loren Roberts played to a draw, then went two extra holes before Els won his first championship.

Mediate trailed by three heading into the 11th hole, but made three straight birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 15 to grab the lead and force Woods to birdie the 18th to stay in the tournament.

Woods did the same thing Sunday on No. 18 to force the playoff and win his 14th major. He has never lost when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead, as he did heading into the final round this time.