The best of the rest category is kind of a catch-all for all of the minor sports that did not have enough games to warrant their own category -- or sports that just are not as mainstream as some others. With that being said, the winner of this category is no stranger to mainstream sports.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a very capable golf series that continues to improve each and every year. Ever since the disappearance of most of its competition -- sans Hot Shots Golf -- the Tiger series has been plodding ahead, churning out solid games each year. With Hank Haney at your side, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 introduced just enough new stuff to keep the game feeling fresh for one more year. That is why the game won this category in '08.

Operation Sports Best of the Rest Game of the Year: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09

Staff Comments

Jayson Young: Top Spin 3 got my vote because it is the best tennis simulation to date.

Tennis games have traditionally been little more than fancy upgrades of Pong, where all you do is rally baseline shots back and forth until one of the players "out angles" the other into an unreachable shot.

Top Spin 3 changed that formula by becoming the first tennis game where every shot in your arsenal is actually useful.

Unfortunately, that balance completely broke down if you tried to take the game online, where cheesers could create unrealistic players with maxed out speed/stroke stats.

But when both players were using athletes with realistic stats, head-to-head play in Top Spin 3 was one of the most intense experiences I had with a sports game this year.

Christian McLeod: Tiger 09 got my vote, and it was well deserved.

Never have I spent more time with a game on multiple systems. When I was not trying to perfect the many user-created GamerNet challenges on my 360, I was attempting to perfect my swing and advance my career on the Wii version. This year's Tiger offered rock-solid gameplay and system-specific extras that made it worth the price of double admission.

I am not quite sure where the series can go next, but 2008 was definitely the year the Tiger Woods franchise hit its peak. This was an excellent game that should have seen more love in the GotY category.

Jack Hoeffel: While I was unhappy with the change to more realistic announcers, Tiger Woods 09 is still the best golf game on the market. The addition of simultaneous online play made it even better this year. Also, I believe it is an excellent game for anyone in college because it is an easy game to pick up and play with a few friends. Add in the surprisingly fun Career mode and Club Tuner gameplay addition, and you have a game that is deserving of the award for best of the rest.

Matthew DiStaulo: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 got my nod this year by fixing some issues that had been around for some time. I felt the game was getting a bit stale and the challenge was nearly non-existent; however, the developers have definitely found ways to make the game feel fresh again -- and at least slightly more difficult. GamerNet has been refined to make for some intriguing bonus challenges, and the online play has been tweaked so that a round of golf can be played in less than a day. The only complaint is the commentary; it is probably the worst since Madden's radio announcer.

Chase Becotte: I voted for Hot Shots, but I think the fact that it was only on the PS3 hurt its chances. Hot Shots offers the same user-friendly gameplay that Tiger Woods has, and I would argue that it probably has more depth than Tiger Woods.

Readers' Choice

Winner: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09

Voting Results: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 (43.37%), Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds (20.92%), Top Spin 3 (15.31%)

Readers' Comments: Hot Shots Golf for me. I've played that game a ton, especially with the OS Tournaments we've had. -- RSpencer86

My vote was for Smackdown vs. Raw 2009. The game has been fun and enjoyable for me. -- FunkyChicken

I voted for Tiger Woods. -- Dislimb