In his prime, Tiger Woods was the most dominant force golf has ever seen.

He held all four majors at the same time in 2001; he made 142 straight cuts on the PGA Tour, and in every single event he played, it was Woods versus the field. 

Woods made all-time great players look like mere mortals, swallowing up major titles and leaving the rest of the golfing world fighting over the scraps he left behind.

But very occasionally Woods would fall in shocking fashion, and that’s exactly what happened at the 2005 US Open. 

Michael Campbell beat prime Tiger Woods at the 2005 US Open

The 2005 U.S. Open was played at the iconic Pinehurst No. 2, a fitting stage for one of golf’s most compelling underdog stories. New Zealand’s Michael Campbell stared down the prime Woods, and won.

Coming into Sunday’s final round, Campbell was tied for ninth, four strokes behind 54-hole leader Retief Goosen. However, the ever-brutal Pinehurst No.2 dismantled the top of the leaderboard.

Goosen carded a disastrous final-round 81 and other contenders faded, but Campbell navigated the conditions with calm composure unseen throughout the rest of the field.

Meanwhile, Woods, who won The Masters and The Open Championship that very year, made a typically ferocious charge. He breathed down Campbell’s neck down the stretch. The Tiger roar echoed through the trees as he holed putt after putt late on. 

What was the event that got you hooked on golf?

How did you end up falling in love with the game?

Woods’ aura had broken many a contender in the past, but instead of wilting in the spotlight, Campbell played the golf of his life. He finished his round with an incredible one-under 69 at a typically difficult US Open, giving him the clubhouse lead at even par for the tournament.

Woods birdied the last to also shoot a 69, but it was only enough for solo second, two shots back of Campbell. Campbell’s triumph made him only the second New Zealander to win a men’s major after Bob Charles, cementing his legacy as one of the great underdog winners of a major championship. 

When he finished his career, this was his only PGA Tour victory, and what a win it was.