US Open Reaction

-Coast

For the 2nd year in a row, the US Open finished on a Monday and I had to miss the majority of the final round, which is bullshit. Other than all Bills' games, the US Open final round might be the best day of sports all year (with the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Confederation Cup hot on it's heels...team USA vs. Spain preview coming soon).

Lucas freaking Glover. Who had this guy in their US Open pools? He has one career win and it came on a lucky hole out from a sand trap on the final hole. Lucas Glover is a bum, let's face it. He shot 73 on a final round which may have been the first time he played in conditions that were the same as the other half of the field. Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes got the luckiest draw in major championship history. They played their entire first two rounds in absolutely ideal conditions...and they made it pay off. The fact that Ricky Barnes holds the 36 hole scoring record for the US Open tells you all you really need to know...that along with his stellar 76 in the final round. The final group shot +9. That is some good golf.

The crowd favorite was obviously Hefty Lefty. He made a run on the back 9 and a dramatic eagle gave him a share of the lead. Then, Mickelson realized who he was...the biggest US Open choke artist in history. 15 was playing as the hardest hole on the course. Mickelson was just on the back fringe after his approach shot, tied for the lead at -4. He lagged his first putt to about 4 feet...these putts you just have to make...and Phil didn't even hit the hole. Then on 16, he ran a 25 foot birdie putt 8 feet by and got lucky to make par...then on 17, he had another 4 footer for par...again it didn't hit the hole. Just like that, he was basically out of it.

The 882nd ranked player in the world, David Duval, put on the greatest show. Duval made birdies on 14, 15 and 16 and grabbed a share of the lead with 2 holes to play. His 4 footer for par on 17 lipped all the way around the hole which basically eliminated him. Duval put on the best show this week. The former world number one who fell off the face of the earth may be finally making a come back. If he didn't get screwed with a plugged lie in the bank of the bunker leading to a triple bogey, we may be talking about him instead of the bum Lucas Glover.

Tiger never really was a factor. He got it to -1 at one point and was only 3 back after being 15 back yesterday, but that is as close as he got. His first round 74 killed him. You can blame the conditions, but that was the hand he was dealt and he played his final 4 holes of the first round at +3...that just isn't going to get it done.

Hunter Mahan may have gotten the most unlucky break I have ever seen. He was at -2 going into 16, only one shot off the lead. He hit his approach on the par 4 perfectly. The ball hit the base of the pin basically in the hole, bounced 60 feet away and off the green. He failed to get up and down and made bogey. A sure birdie turned into a bogey and that one stroke of bad luck cost him a chance at a playoff.

In the end, the champion is Lucas Glover...perhaps the biggest joke of a US open champion in recent memory. He hit a clutch shot on 16 to make birdie and ice it...but other than that, he was just the beneficiary of a lucky draw. At least he is American I guess.