To be continued. . . .

LA JOLLA -- He did it again, almost on command, as Rocco Mediate's heart, and the sun, sank.

Tiger Woods, who before the 108th U.S. Open had not walked 18 holes since left knee surgery on April 15, is going to walk at least 18 more.

He's going from a long layoff to a long playoff.

"I was planning on going to Mexico," Woods said when asked where he was originally headed today.

Not now.

Woods slithered a 12-foot birdie putt into the right side of the cup at No. 18 to pull even with Mediate on Sunday's 72nd hole and force one extra day of adrenaline at Torrey Pines.

Woods and Mediate finished one-under 283 overall.

Lee Westwood's two-over-par 73 left him one shot out of the party and sent him home at even-par 284. Robert Karlsson and D.J. Trahan finished three shots back at two-over 286. They are all footnotes now.

Woods had lost the one-shot lead he took into Sunday, struggled to a two-over 72, struggled with his driver and with his putting.

But he made the putt he had to make when he had to make it.

"I made him do something amazing today, which is amazing," Mediate said of the putt. "He does it all the time . . . but I made him do that."

The U.S. Open is the only one of the four majors that requires an extra 18 holes to determine its champion, like it or not.

"I have nothing left right now," Mediate confessed. "I'm toast. It was the most amazing day of golf I've ever experienced."

So is he up for another one?

"It's going to be unbelievable," he said.

It will be the first U.S. Open playoff since 2001 at Southern Hills, when Retief Goosen defeated Mark Brooks on a Monday in Oklahoma.

Never mind that Woods vs. Mediate sets up like Ali vs. Wepner.

Woods is 32 years old to Mediate's 45. Woods has won 13 major championships to Mediate's none. Woods has 64 PGA tour victories to Mediate's five.

Upon arrival at Torrey Pines, Mediate had one top-10 finish this year and had missed eight of the first 10 cuts on tour this season.

Woods had nine exemptions qualifying him for the U.S. Open. Mediate earned his way in at a sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio.

But Mediate is going to show up.

"He wants to kill me, I want to kill him, that's just how it is," Mediate said.

The scene at Sunday's par-five 18th, playing at 527 yards, was tee-box tense.

Mediate was restless in the scorer's tent at one under after he finished his round of even-par 71.