US Open – 20 Top Triumphs and Upsets to Remember

#2: Tiger Woods’ win at the 2000 US Open endures as the single most dominant major performance in the history of the game.

The first US Open since the death of defending champion Payne Stewart, this event started out on a somber note. In a twist on the 21-gun salute, 21 golfers simultaneously hit balls from the 18th fairway into the Pacific. Sergio Garcia wore Stewart’s trademark plus fours in the first round, while Jack Nicklaus was asked to replace Stewart in the marquee group.

It was Tiger Woods’ relentless performance that really made headlines, though. Still just 24 years of age, the Stanford product went wire-to-wire to pick up his third major title. Playing in benign conditions on Thursday, Woods stormed to the lead with an opening 65 and extended his lead to six strokes with a second round 69. On Saturday, with the wind swirling and the rough thick, he shot a 71 to move to a whole 10 strokes ahead of Ernie Els.

The final round was set up to be a coronation, but even with a huge cushion, Woods refused to slow down. His closing 67 was the low round of the day; the only other player in the top 10 to break 70 was Vijay Singh.

When the dust had settled, he had set numerous records, including the largest margin of victory at a major championship (15 strokes). Woods went on to win the year’s last two majors in addition to the next year’s Masters, clinching the “Tiger Slam.”

Next: 2008: Tiger Woods