It took 72 holes of regulation, an 18-hole playoff and one hole of sudden death to arrive at the foregone conclusion.
Yes, Tiger Woods, the overwhelming favourite going into the 108th US Open, delivered at Torrey Pines.
He won his third Open title and his 14th major championship on a course that should be renamed Tiger Pines, for all the trophies he has hoisted here.
But it wasn't easy. In fact, it couldn't have been any tougher.
Woods' surgically repaired left knee gave him problems. His driver gave him fits. And Rocco Mediate gave him the fight of his life.
Pushed to the brink by Mediate, a 45-year-old journeyman with a quick smile, a bad back and nothing to lose, Woods finally ended the affair with a par on the 91st hole.
It was the culmination of a magical week in which Woods: a) eagled the 18th hole Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round; b) birdied the 72nd hole Sunday to tie Mediate at one-under-par 283 and force an 18-hole playoff; and c) birdied the 18th hole in the playoff to tie Mediate at even-par 71 and extend the marathon into sudden death.
"This is probably," Woods said, "the greatest tournament I've ever had."
It probably ranks among the greatest ever played, not because the golf was so exquisite - it wasn't - but because of the number of times Woods got up off the canvas to outlast a lesser opponent who refused to buckle.
If you broke down their games and analysed each piece - power, iron play, short game, putting, creativity, shot-making - there wasn't one area in which Mediate had the advantage.
The thing was, his golf ball didn't know it.
"I didn't want it to be a walk in the park for him," Mediate said.
"It could have been. I'm a little bit tired today. I'm a little old. He's got me by 14 years (actually 13).
"He's got me by 1,000 yards off the tee.
"And I kept hanging in there, hanging in there, hanging in there."
Coincidentally, the week marked the 500th that Woods has held the No.1 ranking in the world. For comparison's sake, Mediate was ranked No.158 and was trying to become the first man outside the top 100 to win the US Open since the Official World Golf Ranking started in 1986.
So many things were going against Mediate. He hadn't won in six years. Back pain nearly drove him from the game and he even worked as a TV analyst for a while. He went through a horrendous putting slump earlier in his career, the kind that leaves scars.
But if ever Woods was vulnerable for an upset, this was the week. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on April 15, two days after he finished runner-up to Trevor Immelman at the Masters, and hadn't played in a tournament since. He walked 18 holes for the first time in the opening round Thursday.
Either because of rust or pain, or maybe both, he was wild off the tee. He double-bogeyed the first hole three times and had four double-bogeys overall. He grimaced in apparent pain on numerous shots and revealed Monday that doctors warned him he could further injure the knee by playing.
Did he?
"Maybe," said Woods, who wouldn't speculate on when he would play again and left open the possibility of skipping the British Open next month.
"I pushed it pretty hard this week," he said. "I just want to enjoy it and we're going to reevaluate after this event and see what happens."
Mediate birdied Nos. 13, 14 and 15, the latter an in-your-face 18-footer after Woods hit a remarkable fairway bunker shot to within 10 feet.
With three holes to play, Mediate had a one-shot lead.
Woods left birdie putts short on Nos. 16 and 17. He went to the tee on the par-five 18th needing a birdie, because Mediate likely was going to make no worse than par.
"Well, it's pressure, there's no doubt," Woods said. "I was nervous and that's a good thing. That means you care."
He smoked a drive down the middle and hit his second shot safely on the green. Mediate hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker and had to lay up. His third shot, from 123 yards, finished 18 feet from the hole.
After Woods lagged his eagle putt to within 4 feet, Mediate had a chance to win but his birdie attempt skimmed the cup. Woods then made the 4-footer to force sudden death.
And so the marathon continued on the par-four seventh.
Mediate hooked his second shot from a fairway bunker into the stands.
He got a free drop, but couldn't put enough spin on his pitch to stop the ball, which rolled 25 feet past the hole.
Woods hit the green in regulation and two-putted for par. When Mediate missed his par attempt, it was over.
