2002 was the first time Bethpage had hosted a Major Championship
Tiger Woods’ 2002 US Open Win At Bethpage Black
The USPGA Championship takes place at Bethpage State Park this year on the famous Black Course, as the venue hosts its third Major.
It most recently hosted the US Open in 2009 but also held the tournament in 2002.
2002 was the first ever staging of a US Open at a public facility, and the course more than lived up to expectation.
Related: Past champions at Bethpage Black
The 102nd staging of the United States’ national Open was won by Tiger Woods, who captured his second US Open title and eighth Major Championship.
The 2002 US Open saw Woods lift Major number 8
Woods went wire-to-wire to win by three strokes from Phil Mickelson, with a total of three under par for the four days.
He was the only man under par, with Mickelson at even, Jeff Maggert two over, Sergio Garcia three over and the trio of Nick Faldo, Scott Hoch and Billy Mayfair at five over par.
Woods shot rounds of 67, 68, 70 and 72 on the Par 70 layout for a total of 277.
His victory was the first time the year’s Masters champion went on to win the US Open in 30 years.
Since then, Jordan Spieth in 2015 is the only man to match that.
Woods dominated his way to victory
Woods began the final round four clear of Garcia and five ahead of Mickelson but he was just two ahead of Lefty after a bogey-bogey start to Mickelson’s birdie-par.
However, that was as close as the gap got all day, as Tiger recovered to be level par for his round after 13 holes which had him three clear with five to play.
Mickelson’s level par total beat every player in the field…except one
Despite a bogey at the 16th, he was four ahead of Mickelson after 17 when Lefty went bogey-bogey at 16 and 17 to drop to level par.
Woods would also bogey the 18th to drop to three under, which was three ahead of Mickelson.
“I know it will happen eventually,” the then-majorless Mickelson said.
“Having the chance to compete against arguably the greatest player of all time is a special opportunity, and I’m getting closer to breaking through.”
“This one was hard fought,” Woods said.
” You couldn’t just slap it around and play poorly and contend for this championship. You had to play well, and I was able to do it the entire week.”
Garcia dropped from one under to three over after a four over par 74 with his chances all-but-gone after four bogeys and eight pars in his opening 12 holes.
Garcia finished inside the top 10 at all four Majors in 2002. (Photo By Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
American Jeff Maggert briefly got to level par on his front nine to claw within three, but he played his last 12 holes in two over to ultimately finish five back.
Nick Faldo was the leading Brit, and the 54-year-old shot the round of the week, a 66 (-4), in the third round.
The fact that his 66 was the low round of the week was testament to how difficult the 7,214 yard course was playing.
It was a wet week on what was, at the time, the longest US Open course in history.
“If they keep doing this, they’ll take the fun out of the game, because only a few guys can win,” three-time Major winner Nick Price said.
Faldo finished T5th with Scott Hoch and Billy Mayfair in what was his best Major finish since the 1996 Open.
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