The Daily Wrap-up: U.S. Open, Monday finish

Lucas Glover, who survived challenges in the final round from Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Tiger Woods -- among others -- is your U.S. Open champion.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- In a final hour packed with emotion, Lucas Glover played a steady hand to win the U.S. Open.

So many amazing stories belonged to contenders all around him Monday at Bethpage Black, from Phil Mickelson's stirring bid to win for his beloved wife as she battles breast cancer, to David Duval coming out of nowhere or what would have been his first win in eight long years.

Glover kept his cap tugged low and played the kind of golf that wins a U.S. Open under any conditions.

He made only one birdie in the rain-delayed final round, and it could not have been timed any better. Glover holed a 6-foot putt on the 16th hole to break one last tie for the lead, then held on with pars to close with a 3-over 73 for a two-shot victory.

"It was a test of patience, that's for sure," Glover said. "It was just heart today."

It was sheer heartache for Mickelson.

His wife, Amy, is due to have surgery for breast cancer next week. She left cards and text messages asking him to bring home the silver trophy from a U.S. Open that has taunted Lefty for a decade.

Right when it was in his grasp, Mickelson let it slip away again.

He missed a 3-foot par putt on the 15th hole and another par putt from 8 feet on the 17th that ended his dream finish. Mickelson closed with a 70 and wound up in a three-way tie for second with Duval and 54-hole leader Ricky Barnes.

Mickelson left Bethpage Black with the wrong kind of distinction. He set the U.S. Open record with his fifth runner-up finish.

"Certainly I'm disappointed," Mickelson said, "but now that it's over, I've got more important things going on.

"And," he added, then paused, "oh, well."

Even more stunning was the revival of Duval.

The former No. 1 player in golf came to the U.S. Open as a qualifier who had plunged to No. 882 in the world. Showing remarkable resiliency throughout the week, Duval recovered from another big number -- a triple bogey from a plugged lie in a bunker -- and surged into a share of the lead with three straight birdies.

Tied for the lead with two holes to play, his 5-foot par putt on the 17th cruelly caught the back of the lip and spun 180 degrees out on the other side. He shot 71 for his best finish on the PGA TOUR since he won the British Open in 2001.

Barnes, who set the 36-hole U.S. Open scoring record, never had much of a chance. His swing got him into more trouble than he could handle as he went out in 40, 5-over par, and never quite recovered until it was too late.

That left Glover the most unlikely champion.

The 29-year-old from South Carolina, who chews tobacco and listens to Sinatra, had not won since holing out a bunker shot on the final hole at the Children's Miracle Network Classic nearly five years ago.

But this was no fluke.

Once he was handed the lead by Barnes' collapse, Glover was rock solid on a water-logged course. And when he hit two of his best shots of the final round to the 16th green for his lone birdie, it made for an anticlimactic finish to a U.S. Open that had more delays than drama.

It was the first time the U.S. Open ended on a Monday without a playoff since 1983, courtesy of relentless rain.

EASIEST HOLE	TOUGHEST HOLE
The 517-yard par-5 fourth. It played to a scoring average of 4.664 on Monday. There were two eagles, 58 birdies, 85 pars, 10 bogeys and no double bogeys.	The 504-yard par-4 12th. It played to a scoring average of 4.403 on Monday. There were no eagles, 10 birdies, 79 pars, 61 bogeys and six double bogeys

SHOT OF THE DAY	ROUND OF THE DAY
He didn't win, but Phil Mickelson's eagle at the 554-yard, par-5 13th got him close -- into a tie for the lead at 4 under in fact -- and elated his adoring crowd.	Ian Poulter rallied Sunday for a top-20 finish with a 3-under 67 that moved him 24 spots up the leaderboard. He had five birdies and two bogeys.

WOODS LEAVES BETHPAGE BEFUDDLED OVER PUTTER THAT BETRAYED HIM
By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- When Tiger Woods left Bethpage Black in 2002, it was with the silver U.S. Open trophy, his sixth major championship win overall.

When the world’s No. 1 player left Bethpage Black and the 109th U.S. Open on Monday, having played marathon golf over five days, not only was he trophy-less but also completely befuddled and disgusted by a putter that betrayed him.

“Overall, I gave myself so many chances and made nothing,” he said.

Woods needed 30 putts in his final round of 1-under 69, which was good for an even-par 280 total and a tie for sixth with Soren Hansen, four shots behind champion Lucas Glover.

In the first round, Woods had 31 putts for a 4-over 74; 30 putts in the second round for a 2-under 68; and 29 putts in the third round for a 1-under 69. And that’s what was holding him back.

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DUVAL DOESN'T WIN BUT RETURNS TO PROMINENCE DRAMATICALLY
By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Until Monday afternoon, David Duval hadn't recorded a single top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR since 2002.

That's seven years, an eternity for a pro golfer, especially a one-time world No. 1.

But, that's been the story of Duval's career since he reached the pinnacle by winning the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes only to plummet into what must have felt like golf's version of the witness protection program since he wasn't seen or heard from for a long, long time.

It's amazing what a difference just one tournament can make though. Just ask Duval, who, at least for this week, isn't lost anymore after an incredibly hard-earned tie for second at 2-under 278 in the 109th U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.

"I stand before you certainly happy with how I played but extremely disappointed in the outcome," said Duval, who began the week ranked No. 882 in the world and had missed the cut in eight of 13 starts this season. "I had no question in my mind that I was going to win the golf tournament today."

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