AFTER 14 MAJORS AND 65 PGA WINS, WOODS CALLS THIS HIS ‘BEST EVER’

Hank Haney’s lower lip was quivering as he spoke. The emotion was obvious in his eyes.

More than anyone else in Tiger Woods’ tight circle of confidants, Haney, as Woods’ coach, understood the pain and the doubt that accompanied the world’s top golfer in his incredible journey to a 19-hole playoff victory over Rocco Mediate yesterday in the 108th U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

“He’s so tough … the amount of pain he played in this week, the lack of preparation … ” Haney was saying, his voice cracking softly. “This is his greatest win. I know he feels the same way.”

To pick out a greatest in Woods’ triumphs among his 14 major titles and 65 PGA Tour victories is like choosing a favorite “Seinfeld” episode. It’s all shades of brilliance, but The Man himself was there to dispel any doubt.

“This is probably the best ever,” Woods said.

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This Week in Golf - June 16th through June 22nd

PGA TOUR - TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP - TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut - In the wake of the U.S. Open playoff, a sense of normalcy returns to the PGA Tour with the Travelers Championship.

Hunter Mahan has put his mark on this event in recent years. He finished in a tie for second in 2006, then last year earned his maiden PGA Tour victory in a playoff against Jay Williamson.

Mahan rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the tournament. Williamson missed a 12-footer that would’ve won the championship outright, so it was back to 18 for the playoff.

Williamson hit his approach in the extra session near the spot Mahan was in regulation. Mahan stiffed a wedge inside three feet. Williamson pushed his birdie effort and Mahan tapped in for birdie and his first PGA Tour win.

The victory propelled Mahan to a nice end of the season. He rattled off three consecutive top-10s, including a tie for sixth at the British Open. Jack Nicklaus honored him with a captain’s pick for the U.S. Presidents Cup team.

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Tiger Woods seems ready to take a sabbatical

Troublesome left knee might keep U.S. Open champion off the course for a while.

LA JOLLA — After five days and 91 holes of golf, just after he cuddled his toddler daughter, and moments after he raised the U.S. Open trophy for the third time, Tiger Woods said he didn’t feel like playing golf anymore.

“I’m glad I’m done,” he said. “I’m done.”

Of course, there are vastly different levels of not playing anymore, such as this one: He has had quite enough of the 108th U.S. Open, thank you very much.

But since this is Woods, the star attraction in golf, the most famous athlete in the world and the guy who just won the U.S. Open despite an aching left knee, what he actually meant is wide open to interpretation.

So here’s some. No one should be shocked if Woods takes a leave of absence, maybe even a long one.

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McKinney weighs developer’s request for $300,000 to promote golf event

Developer David Craig sees November’s Nationwide Tour golf championship at the TPC Craig Ranch as a rare showcase for McKinney.

To that end, he is asking the McKinney City Council for $300,000 in public money to promote the event on the Golf Channel.

Supporters say the $1 million tournament is a milestone in McKinney’s makeover from a bedroom community to a destination suburb and would help the city land a more prestigious tournament in the future.

“I’d like to have this grow into something bigger and better,” Mayor Bill Whitfield said.

But the request also has emerged as a symbol of largess at a time when North Texas cities face tightening budgets. McKinney alone must narrow a projected $21 million budget gap. How the proposal might be funded is unclear.

Critics say the measure amounts to a handout to Mr. Craig, one of Collin County’s most powerful developers.

“We don’t have any business spending money on advertising,” council member Bill Vitz said. “We have many places we can spend $300,000. This doesn’t seem like the place for it.”

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Mediate Withdraws From Travelers

“Rocco’s Army” won’t get to see their hero return to TPC River Highlands this week.

Rocco Mediate, a longtime Cromwell fan favorite whose back problems have limited him to only one TPC appearance since 1997, informed PGA Tour officials he was withdrawing from the Travelers Championship minutes after he lost the U.S. Open in a playoff to Tiger Woods in La Jolla, Calif.

“Boy, I hope [the Travelers isn't] too mad at me,” Mediate, whose last TPC appearance was in 2005, told The Golf Channel.

Tournament director Nathan Grube said the event “was doing all we could to make it easy for him to get here,” including having a private jet bring Mediate from California Monday night.

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