Thanks in large part to his birdie on the 16th hole (a par 4) in the final round, Lucas Glover won the 2009 U.S. Open, edging out Phil Mickelson and a massive comeback attempt by David Duval.
Glover kept his cap tugged low and played the kind of golf that wins a U.S. Open under any conditions.
He made only one birdie in the rain-delayed final round, and it could not have been timed any better. Glover holed a 6-foot putt on the 16th hole to break one last tie for the lead, then held on with pars to close with a 3-over 73 for a two-shot victory.
“It was a test of patience, that’s for sure,” Glover said. “It was just heart today.”
It was sheer heartache for Mickelson.
His wife, Amy, is due to have surgery for breast cancer next week. She left cards and text messages asking him to bring home the silver trophy from a U.S. Open that has taunted Lefty for a decade.
Right when it was in his grasp, Mickelson let it slip away again.
He missed a 3-foot par putt on the 15th hole, and another par putt from 8 feet on the 17th that ended his dream finish. Mickelson closed with a 70 and wound up in a three-way tie for second with Duval and 54-hole leader Ricky Barnes.
Glover is a great story because not only is he an unknown in the PGA world, but he also didn’t lead after any of the first three rounds. He just played steady throughout the entire tournament and capitalized when he had an opportunity to win.
My heart goes out to Mickelson. He’s obviously been through a lot lately and it would have made for a great story had he won this weekend. It’s amazing that he’s been the runner up five times, but has never won a U.S. Open. His time will come.
