He hadn't played much following knee surgery after finishing second at the Masters that April, and two months later at the 2008 US Open he appeared to be still troubled by the injury.
Limping and wincing with discomfort, the world No.1 looked to have no chance of adding to his 13 majors and clinching a third US Open and first since 2002.
But somehow Woods played through the pain at Torrey Pines in California.
His short game dazzled and he holed a series of remarkable putts to lead after three rounds. Woods had won all of his majors when leading after 54 holes but he needed to hole another lengthy birdie putt on the 18th to force a playoff against countryman Rocco Mediate.
Despite his injury, Woods led Monday's 18-hole playoff by three shots after 10 holes but was one stroke behind going up the 18th. But another Woods birdie forced sudden death, and he clinched an astonishing win on the first extra hole.
"A lot of different things went into this week," Woods told CNN at the time. "A lot of doubt. I didn't know how this thing would hold up, but here we are at a US Open."
Two days later he was later diagnosed with a double stress fracture to his left tibia, and also had surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury, taking the rest of the year off.
Watch Tiger's 2008 interview with CNN World Sport at the top of the page.
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