Leads PGA Tour in par-3 birdies
Everybody figured that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson would be the story during the rain-soaked U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. Tiger because he’s Tiger and Phil because it would be a storybook win he could dedicate to his wife Amy, who is going to have surgery performed for breast cancer.
But reality doesn’t always follow the plan. One look at the 2009 U.S. Open golf scoreboard will tell you that. Like a cash advance in Edgewood for surprise car repairs, Lucas Glover hung around and took the title in the end. And as a result, he’ll see by far the largest payoff in his young golfing career. His $1,350,000 payoff tops U.S. Open prize money for 2009. I’ll bet somebody in his family is going to come calling for fast cash…
In the (prize) money
For the record, here’s the prize money breakdown for golfers who finished under par. Notice that Tiger isn’t on the list (he finished at even par):
- Lucas Glover (-4), $1,350,000
- Phil Mickelson (-2), $559,830
- David Duval (-2), $559,830
- Ricky Barnes (-2), $559,830
- Ross Fisher (-1), $289,146
Brian Mull reports for Star News Online that there were more stories than you could shake a stick at in this Open. There was David Duval’s comeback to the top tier of the golfing world. As mentioned, there was the Phil Mickelson story; he’s going to go on sabbatical to be with his family now. And Tiger is always the main man, win or lose. He was on track for his 15th major victory, adding to his timeless legacy. His back-to-back birdies in the final nine excited the crowd.
But it was Lucas Glover who emerged victorious. His drives found the middle of the fairways and his putter zeroed in on the target when he needed it most. Other than a miscue on the ninth hole where he drove into the soggy rough and attempted to blast the follow up all the way to the green, Glover displayed a well-reasoned approach to the course and weather conditions. When he had to be aggressive, he came out swinging.
The field’s final push fell short
David Duval had difficulty getting off the snide in each round, but managed to elevate his play as the days went on. A bad break or two, like sticking his final round opening tee shot under the lip of a bunker, led to some trouble. That hole ended in triple bogey and took him out of championship contention. Ricky Barnes led the U.S. Open in stretches, but his driving accuracy was an issue at times. Even so, he was in it until the end.
Finally, there’s Phil Mickelson. As I’ve said, he was the true story of this tournament because of the adversity his wife is facing. However, Phil always comes across as the “people’s champion,” because he’s friendly and – in between swings – he looks like the average muni course duffer. He’s no John Daly, but he’s also no Tiger Woods when it comes to the waistline. Yet he turned in his fifth runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, which is a new tournament record.
Aside from Glover, Phil was the only golfer to be at -4 on the tournament’s final day, but two short putts dropped him back into a tie for second place. Unfortunately, the “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” in the majors syndrome wasn’t completely washed away by wins at The Masters in 2004 and 2006 and PGA Championship in 2005. He’s still the best golfer who hasn’t won, for some strange reason. Perhaps the public likes to view him that way, to maintain his underdog people’s champion persona?
I don’t think he’ll ever need a cash advance in Edgewood for fast cash, that’s for sure. Lucas Glover has hit the big money for the first time now, and perhaps there will be even more in his future.
Related Video:
