Glover the surprise winner at U.S. Open

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Unheralded extra Lucas Glover survived a wind-swept finale and spirited charges by David Duval and Phil Mickelson to win the 109th U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.

The 29-year-old native of Greenville, S.C., arrived on Long Island without a single top-10 finish in 11 major starts and just one PGA Tour victory on his resume (2005 Funai Classic). He exits as a member of golf’s exclusive slam club.

“I’m obviously very excited,” said Glover (4-under, 276) after clipping the trio of Duval, Mickelson and Ricky Barnes by two strokes. “I didn’t expect this on Thursday, to say the least. But I was playing pretty good coming in here, and I thought if I put four rounds together I might have a chance.”

Glover began Monday’s delayed finale tied with Barnes at 7-under through 55 holes. Both he and Barnes floundered around the front nine, combining to post eight bogeys and no birdies to allow sentimental favorites Mickelson and Duval back into the mix.

In his bid to win the championship he covets the most for ailing wife, Amy, Mickelson grabbed a share of the lead with Glover at 4-under with a pointblank eagle at No. 13. But the 39-year-old Mickelson once again disappointed his adoring gallery at an Open, missing par putts inside of eight feet on Nos. 15 and 17 to become the first five-time runner-up in U.S. Open history.

Duval’s bid from the back was an even nearer thing. After opening the day with a bad-luck triple bogey from a plugged lie under the lip of a greenside bunker at No. 3, the 37-year-old mounted a heroic charge back from 1-over. Ranked No. 882 in the world after a seven-year slide into oblivion, Duval reeled off consecutive birdies at Nos. 14, 15 and 16 to momentarily match Glover at 3-under.

But Duval’s magical run, like Mickelson’s, ended with a bogey at the 17th after the Open’s renaissance man found the thick rough just short of the green with his approach.

While Duval was lipping out his par putt at the 17th, Glover cooly stroked home a six-footer for birdie at the 16th for a two-shot cushion and then closed the books on golf’s soggy, extended stay at Bethpage with a pair of two-putt pars.