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Lucas Glover Emerges from Monsoon with US Open Victory

After days upon days of rain involving more pictures of grounds crew working squeegees across flooded greens than I ever cared to witness, the 109th playing of the US Open golf tournament ended in something like familiar fashion. A guy most folks never would have selected as the winner of this event on Wednesday played better than anyone else on the back nine during the final round of the tournament and gets to take home a nifty trophy atop a wheelbarrow full of money. It took until Monday for the golf to overcome the weather as the story of the week. Phil Mickelson finished in second place for a record fifth time, doomed by his putter and a week full of feast or famine shots. Missing two par putts on the last four holes sent Mr.Mickelson home to more important matters with another almost but not quite finish in our national championship

Published

17 years ago

Jun 23, 2009

Eric Schuster

It took until Monday for the golf to overcome the weather as the story of the week. Phil Mickelson finished in second place for a record fifth time, doomed by his putter and a week full of feast or famine shots. Missing two par putts on the last four holes sent Mr.Mickelson home to more important matters with another almost but not quite finish in our national championship.

The fourth round began Sunday night with Rickey Barnes at 8 under par one shot ahead of Mr. Glover and five ahead of everyone else. Even though Mr. Barnes had held the 36 hole lead in record fashion, and still led after 54 holes, I don’t think I was the only one watching who figured 3 or 4 under would be enough. I mean really, when Mr. Barnes got to 11 under par and the talking heads were dragging out Gil Morgan and his sprint to 12 under at Pebble Beach followed by his drop thru all seven layers of hell, did anyone really believe he was going to continue to walk on water all the way to the trophy? No. He shot 40 on the front nine in the final round, not surprising considering the circumstances. Admirably he hung tough around the back nine to finish tied for second with Mr. Mickelson and a name from another decade, David Duval.

That’s correct, David Duval, looking like he was enjoying himself for a change and playing like he used to play, hitting the ball straight, long, accurate, and making putts from all over. He began the day on the 238 yd par 3 third hole at 3 under par. One triple bogey later he was even par and I figured he was finished. Granted he caught a terrible break, pulling his iron shot from the tee just a bit left and into one of those gargantuan seeming sand traps where the ball just happened to bury under the lip. A no shot dead lie if I’ve ever seen one, which turned out to be the case. My mistake was thinking Mr. Duval would fold up his I’m the 882nd best golfer but I used to be number one on the planet tent and vanish into the land of the many over par. He didn’t fold at all. He did what no one has seen him do in a long long time. Continue to play quality golf shots, make some putts and crawl back into the lead. Only to watch a 5 foot par putt do a 180* back at you on the 17th green. This while Mr. Glover made his lone birdie of the day on the par 4 16th hole, acquiring a two shot lead as he marched onto the 17th tee. I really hope that Mr. Duval is back as a player. What a comeback script that would make. From number one in the world to number 882 and back to say the top five in only 10 years. A tale of one man’s inability to quit on himself when the rest of golfdom buried him long long ago. Very cool. Although probably a psychologically questionable personality flaw, it’s a flaw I have to admire.

Tiger Woods had numerous chances to get himself into the mix the final two days, but his putter refused to comprehend the lack of speed on the greens. A US Open can not be won without cooperation from the flatstick. Won’t happen. And yet he still finished tied for 6th only four shots out of first. If you kept score, he was four over on the 15th hole for the week. Whatever your opinion on him, the guy is just absolutely amazing at playing this game.

And so there was drama on the final nine, even though it was Monday morning rather than Sunday afternoon. Lots of players with a chance to win and or lose the tournament. Make no mistake, Mr. Glover won the trophy by playing better golf than anyone else. He is a worthy winner as deserving as every other of the names etched on the trophy he now holds. Congratulations.

As a small aside, I never hope the talking heads have so much time to fill ever again. When weatherman Al Roker is the star talking head something is amiss. Normally I can tune out the voices, but they reached the level of the ridiculous so quickly today, and then went way beyond that in short order, I was throwing things at my television and yelling at them to shut the heck up. The inanity reached such a level that I neglected to realize I could hit the mute button, but like rubberneckers at a six car- semitruck accident I had to keep an ear out for every gory sentence. It may take some time before I can forget statements like Dan Hicks made about Mr. Barnes after a chip shot finished tap in distance from the hole. Something to the effect that "once again he’s responded to the pressure" this after Mr. Barnes had yanked three successive tee shots into the deep do do and even hit a second shot further left. The guy is melting in front of my eyes and just about to come out of skin, but he’s responding to the pressure in a good way. HAH! I just threw a pair of socks at the computer. Time to say goodbye.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

1 day ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ben A

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

2 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.

Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.

Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.

Henley’s Suitcase

Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!

Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.

Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.

Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!

Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.

Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.

Kaneko’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping Max G440
Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7

Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro

Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.

The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
Wedges
Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026

LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin

Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.

Niemann’s Suitcase