2009 U.S. Open Recap

Lucas Glover Prevails at Soggy U.S. Open

As he has been so often since he burst onto the PGA Tour more than a decade ago, Tigers Woods was the prevailing favorite as 156 professionals and amateurs teed it up in the 109th U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, New York.

Now healthy again with his game clicking after winning the Memorial Tournament, Woods looked like a near shoo-in to claim his third U.S. Open title and 15th major championship. Tiger won the first U.S. Open to be staged at Bethpage Black in 2002, and the golf world was poised for a repeat performance.

But this was far from a normal U.S. Open. Instead of a Tiger Woods victory march, the year's second major championship was a plodding, rain-delayed affair through soggy fairways, thick rough and uncharacteristically slow greens.

Consequently, an interesting cast of contenders emerged that kept golf fans guessing about the outcome until the final putt was holed.

A Barnes Burner

Ricky who?

That must have been what many casual golf fans were thinking when qualifier Ricky Barnes jumped to the top of the leaderboard midway through the weather-delayed Open. A college standout at The University of Arizona and former U.S. Amateur champion, Barnes had struggled to fulfill his promise in his early years as a Tour pro.

Barnes' 132 total didn't just lead at Bethpage, it set a new 36-hole U.S. Open scoring mark. Barnes was finding the fairways with his Callaway driver and rolling in frequent birdies and an occasional eagle on the large, water-logged greens.

A third-round 70 gave Barnes a one-shot lead after 54 holes. Another unproven player, one-time PGA Tour winner Lucas Glover, was Barnes' closest pursuer, with several players lurking, including Phil Mickelson and a resurgent David Duval.

Could Barnes withstand the final-round pressure to win the U.S. Open and instantly transform his career?

Emotional Rollercoaster

At first, it was a surprise that Phil Mickelson would even play in the U.S. Open. A few weeks earlier Amy Mickelson, Phil's highly popular wife, had been diagnosed with breast cancer, an announcement that shook the golf world. Phil initially said he would take a sabbatical from pro golf, but then returned when the Mickelson family learned that Amy's surgery and treatment would not begin for a few weeks.

Phil assured everyone he was ready to compete and liked his chances. After rounds of 69, 70 and 69, Phil's name climbed near the top of the leaderboard on the closing holes of the championship when leaders Barnes and Glover fell back.

On the par-5 13th hole, Lefty struck a Callaway fairway wood from the short rough that landed softly and rolled to a stop near the hole. Phil sunk the putt for a dramatic eagle to tie for the lead, and the pro-Mickelson crowd went nuts.

After heartbreaking second-place finishes in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006, would this finally be Phil's time?

No. 882

David Duval had told the golf world that he was close to the form that had made him the world's best player in the late 1990s. But it was difficult to believe the man who had fallen so far since winning the 2001 British Open, bottoming out at No. 882 in the world golf rankings.

At Bethpage, Duval's golf clubs did some serious talking. Rounds of 67, 70 and 70 placed him in contention. Like Mickelson, Duval found himself near the lead in the waning moments of the championship after making three consecutive birdies.

Golf fans cheered loudly as sentimental favorites Mickelson and Duval made late charges and sought redemptive victories on one of golf's biggest stages. But another player, a genial young man from South Carolina, would not crack.

Cool Hand Lucas

In three previous appearances, Lucas Glover, 29, had not made a cut in the U.S. Open. The former Clemson All-American and Walker Cupper had carved out a respectable living on Tour, finishing as high as 21st on the money list.

But with just one Tour win and few appearances in majors, Lucas wasn't on anyone's short list to win at Bethpage. Nonetheless, his steady game and composure shined through during the rainy days on Long Island.

As Barnes faltered on the opening nine of the final round, Glover took a lead he never relinquished over the final 12 holes. A clutch birdie on the 16th gave Lucas a two-shot cushion as late bogeys by Mickelson and Duval doomed their chances.

"I hit the shots today that I had to hit in the situation, and that was a little more gratifying," said Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion.

Gratifying, indeed.