The Best Man Won the 2009 U.S. Open, Even if the Finish was Anticlimactic

The right man won the 2009 US Open.

Lucas Glover overcame adversity twice during his final two rounds and closed out the tournament in a way no one else—including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson—could do.

During his third round, Glover went through a stretch of three holes that would have had most other players packing it in for the tournament.

Glover, who began the third round just one stroke behind leader Ricky Barnes, recorded a bogey on the sixth, a double bogey on the seveth and another bogey on the eigth to fall a full six strokes behind Barnes.

Instead of trying to calculate in his mind how much money he could still bring home if he managed to finish within the top 10, Glover remained patient and focused on the ultimate prize. He played the back-nine at three-under-par to once again pulled within just a stroke of Barnes heading into the final round.  

During the final round, Glover bogeyed the third, fifth and ninth holes, but still managed to hold the lead at the turn after Barnes shot six-over on the front nine.

Mickelson made the charge everyone had been waiting for all week and pulled even with Glover after he birdied the 12th and eagled the par-five 13th.

Mickelson dropped a shot at the 15th, but was once again tied with Glover after Glover also bogeyed the 15th just a few minutes later.

But  Glover recovered with a birdie at the 16th and then calmly pared his way in for a two-stroke win at the 109th US Open.

Out of the top six players on the final leader board, Glover was the only one to have played the final three holes under par.

Although Glover is certainly a worthy champion, it’s difficult not to walk away from Bethpage thinking that out of all the possible conclusions that were unfolding as the leaders made their way around the back-nine, we saw the most anticlimactic of them all.

Had Mickelson sunk his birdie putt on the 16th, his short par putt on the 17th and his 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th, he would have sent the New York crowd into a complete frenzy and brought the US Open trophy home to his wife, Amy, who is about to begin her treatment for breast cancer.

Mickelson could have turned the massive grandstands surrounding the 16th, 17th and 18th into the Rose Bowl.  Had his long birdie putt fallen on the 18th, the crowd was liable to have run on the green and torn down the flagstick as if they were tearing down the goal post after an unlikely upset in the college football National Championship game.

Mickelson could have been carried off the 18th green as if he were Rudy Rudiger.

If Mickelson was this week’s sentimental favorite, David Duval was certainly a close second.

Duval’s last win came at the 2001 British Open, and if there’s anything that New Yorkers love more than the Mets, Yankees, Jets, Giants, Knicks, Rangers, and Phil Mickelson, it’s a comeback story.

Not only did Duval mount a comeback in the tournament by birdying the 14th, 15th and 16th holes after shooting three-over-par on the front nine, but a U.S. Open win for Duval today would have marked one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport.

In the past decade, Duval has gone from a major champion and the No. 1 player in the world, to the 881st ranked player in the world at whom everyone quietly chuckles when he constantly speaks of how his game is not that far off. 

Although Duval finished two strokes behind Glover this afternoon, I doubt any chuckles will radiate around the press room next time he says his game is not that far off.

Then we have Ricky Barnes. After defeating Hunter Mahan in the 2002 US Amateur, most believed that Barnes was destined for greatness on the PGA Tour. He was given large sponsorship deals the second he turned pro, but it has taken him six years of attending Q-school and bouncing around the mini-tours to finally earn himself a spot on the PGA Tour.

In one round today, Barnes went from being a feel-good comeback story, to a joke after he bogeyed seven out of his first 12 holes, to a comeback story again after he birdied the 13th and pulled within one stroke of the lead, to the sentimental favorite as he stood over a putt to once again pull within one-stroke of Glover on the 18th green.

Even though Woods was unsuccessful in defending his US Open title this week, it wouldn’t be a major championship if he didn’t create at least a purr, if not a roar, would it?

Woods pulled to within three strokes of the lead after birdies at the 13th and 14th, but the 15th hole was once again Woods’ Achilles Heel this afternoon.

Woods played the 15th hole at four over par for the week and bogeyed the 15th again today, which more or less put an end to his mini-run. 

But, this US Open did not belong to Woods, Mickelson, Duval or Barnes; it belonged to Lucas Glover.

The 2009 US Open did not make anyone jump out of their shoes with excitement, nor did it really provide heartbreak, tears or many shocking moments down the stretch. It just kind of ended.

Many are probably walking away from Bethpage this evening feeling as if they did not see or accomplish what they wanted to...unless, of course, your name is Lucas Glover.

No matter what happens in Glover's career from here on in, he will always be a member of that elite club of major champions, and a very deserving one after his performance all week at Bethpage and particularly down the stretch this afternoon.