NEW YORK — The tight finish to the fourth round of the U.S. Open drew the third-highest preliminary television rating in the tournament's history.

With a later start pushing the finish to prime time on the East Coast, Sunday's coverage earned the best overnight rating in six years, but couldn't match some past events with Tiger Woods in the hunt.

The round, which ended with Woods and Rocco Mediate headed for a playoff, attracted an 8.5 rating and 18 share on NBC, the network said Monday. That's up 21 percent from last year's 7.0, when Woods tied for second. But it fell short of the record 9.3 in 2002 and the 8.8 in 2000, both Woods victories.

Sunday's rating peaked at a 13.5 from 8:30-9 p.m. ET, as Woods birdied the 18th hole to force the playoff.

The rating is the percentage watching a program among homes with televisions, and the share is the percentage tuned into the broadcast among those households with TVs on at the time. Overnight ratings measure the country's largest markets.