Lucas Glover Wins Scintillating, Rain-Sopped U.S. Open

Lucas Glover stood 173 yards from the 16th hole, pondering his second shot, and tied for the U.S. Open lead.

The 29-year-old, with one career win, knew this was a pivotal moment in the tournament of his life. He pulled out his eight-iron, talked to his caddie, took a few practice swings, then walloped the ball high into the cloudy sky.

Nervous in anticipation, he watched the ball’s flight, hoping it would land in prime position for a birdie.

It did.

The ball hopped onto the green, and squirmed to within six feet of the hole.

The crowd roared, and Glover waived and walked up the fairway. This 8-iron was a shot to remember, and one that changed the course of the U.S. Open.

Ricky Barnes led Glover by one, at 8-under entering the final round. Without knowledge of when Saturday’s play would be suspended by darkness, he elected to start his final round.

He bogeyed the opening hole, then the horn sounded.

Yet the 28-year-old, without a PGA Tour win to his name who has spent the majority of the past four years on the Nationwide Tour (the minor leagues of golf), held the keys the U.S. Open’s car.

But, that bogey on the par-4 first hole started a haunting trend. Presumably, sleep was lost that night with nervousness encasing his muscular frame. He had never been in such a position.

Usually there’s a first for everything, but Barnes couldn’t take advantage of this opportunity.

He rattled off three straight pars to start his Sunday, but then entered a forgettable stretch of holes. He bogeyed the next four holes–three par-4’s and a par-3–to fall one shot behind Glover once the eighth hole was concluded..

Glover had problems of his own, as he bogeyed the ninth hole to post a score of plus-three on the front-nine. Resilient and determined, he parred the first five holes of he back-nine.

Barnes, however, continued to fade, prolonging his stretch of poor drives, poor approach shots, poor chips, and poor putts to bogey the 11th and 12th holes. He was a mess, and flustered by the magnitude of the U.S. Open.

He walked up to the 13th tee at one-under, down by three thanks to seven bogeys in the first twelve holes. It was sad, and a debacle of epic proportions.

Yet, despite his woes, he wouldn’t fold completely.

Phil Mickelson's U.S. Open statistics">Phil Mickelson, who is seemingly always a fan-favorite no matter where he plays, was even more so during this tournament. His wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer in mid-May.

In the time since the diagnosis, he has received so much support, not only by the fans, but by his fellow competitors.

Many golfers, most famously John Daly, have worn pink to honor her. So, he was a feel-good story entering this major, and a good choice among betters considering he felt optimistic about his chances.

Having not won since the 2007 Masters, he wanted to win not only for Amy, but for himself. He had a fantastic chance to do this.

Lefty, as he is dubbed, bounced back from early bogeys, canned a 35-footer for birdie on the 12th, then did one better on the 13th. He knocked his approach stiff within four feet. He drained the ensuing putt for eagle, tying Glover for the lead.

His putting was flawless, but his touch soon waned.

David Duval was a surprise contender to everyone but himself. Ten years ago, Duval was ranked No. 1 in the world on the PGA Tour.

Then, he lost his swing.

For the past eight years, while battling back injuries, he has been trying to find it. With his rebirth of a U.S. Open, it appears he finally has.

Ranked 882nd now, he bogeyed the seventh hole to fall six shots back of Glover. He recovered, showing the golf world that his demons have been conquered. After this setback, he returned to the form I once admired, parring the next four holes before making his run at the Open title.

He birdied the fourteenth hole to climb within three, then, benefiting from bogeys by Glover and Mickelson, narrowed the deficit to one with another on fifteen.

Glover, a hole ahead, heard the faint roar in the distance. His six-footer on the 16th became that much more pivotal. Even with the added pressure, the putt to take the lead fell in the heart of the cup.

Throughout the tournament, he rarely showed emotions but still had the determined look. After making the putt, his mildness was on display, as all he could muster was a little wave to the crowd and a tip of the cap.

Mickelson and other contenders, such as Ross Fisher and Hunter Mahan, pumped their fists vigorously after every triumph. The crowd was behind these three, along with underdogs Barnes and Duval, but, because of Glover’s subtle demeanor, they weren’t as enthusiastic about his stellar play.

Even so, once Mickelson and Duval’s chances went array and Barnes’ birdie attempt on 18 slithered past the hole, the crowd jumped on his bandwagon.

So, when his 3-foot par putt on the final hole, a standing ovation immediately followed. Once the putt dropped, he pumped his fist, tipped his cap toward the thousands that filled the grandstand, and let it all sink in.

This tournament may be remembered for the rain and the five days it took to finish, but Glover’s win should not go unnoticed. He marched through the puddles that soaked Bethpage Black, staved off the feel-good stories of Mickelson, Duval, and Barnes, and hit the shots and made the putts necessary to win the 109th U.S. Open.