Farmingdale, New York - Lucas Glover showed patience and
resolve beyond his experience as he held off a charging pack to win
his first Major by triumphing at the US Open on Monday.
The 29-year-old struggled to a 3-over-par 73 in his final round,
but it was still enough to give him victory by two strokes from Phil
Mickelson, David Duval and joint overnight leader Ricky Barnes, who
faded with a 78.
'It was a test of patience today,' Glover said. 'It was tough, we
got the full value of the course. But the golf course played
fantastic and it was just hard.'
Mickelson, whose chances were ruined by bogeys at the 15th and
17th holes, said Glover had deserved his win.
'All I know is he shot 4-under par on a very difficult golf course
and held on to win,' he said.
With three holes to go, Glover, Mickelson and Duval were all tied
for the lead on 3-under-par, but Mickelson and Duval both bogeyed the
17th hole to drop back, while Glover birdied the 16th hole to move
ahead.
The South Carolina native, who had never made the cut at the
US Open before, parred the remaining two holes to finish on
4-under-par, two better than a rejuvenated Duval and Mickelson, who
has now finished runner-up at the US Open on five occasions.
Tiger Woods, who began Monday on level par through seven holes -
after rains forced the tournament into a fifth day - could not better
that score and finished four shots off the pace.
Glover and Barnes had begun the final round five shots clear of
the field but the pressure told immediately as Barnes dropped four
more shots on the front nine and Glover three.
Behind them, Mickelson birdied the ninth and 12th holes before
eagling the 13th to move to 4-under.
A bogey at 15 dropped him back to 3-under and three successive
birdies for David Duval from the 14th took him alongside Mickelson on
3-under.
But both men came undone at the 17th hole with bogeys and neither
man could find the birdie they needed at the last.
Mickelson had squandered a lead on the final hole three years ago,
but said this runners-up was not the same.
'I feel different this time,' he said. 'I don't know where to go
with this. I want to win this tournament so badly.'
Barnes also missed his birdie chance at the last, leaving Glover
three putts from victory and he needed only two as he parred the last
to seal the victory of his life.
For Duval, it was a stunning return to form after his fall from
world No 1 to near obscurity, with vertigo and personal problems
affecting him for much of the past few years.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story