RAIN, RAIN, RAIN
Mickelson, Duval and…. Lucas!!!
So the 2009 US Open on the Black Course at Bethpage Black, Long Island; will be remembered for numerous triumphs.
The golf staff triumphed with the course. After Rain, Rain, Rain; they managed to squeeze and prepare a waterlogged golf course, to allow the event to finish in 5 days.
After the wettest Thursday in US Open history, play was suspended at 10.15am, and it was amazing how good the course looked on Friday morning, when play resumed.
The triumph of Phil Mickelson, to overcome the thoughts of wife Amy struggling at home, getting ready to fight breast cancer. A New York favorite anyway, Phil had the support of every New Yorker as he walked the sodden fairways of Bethpage, and very nearly completed the remarkable feat of winning with a troubled heart.
Only a couple of late bogeys, stopped Phil in his tracks on Monday, resulted in Phil picking up his 5th runners-up in Us Opens.
Next year at Pebble Beach, can he go one better…?
Regular readers will know I have a very soft spot for our boy from Jacksonville… David Duval.
Only last year, I documented Duval’s return at Royal Birkdale, and even his return in Mississippi. I wrote a blog, “Is this the return of David Duval?” only to see, weeks of tournaments, with ‘nearly, but not quite’ results.
Even earlier this year in Texas, after 36 holes, Duval was only a few behind the lead. A sloppy weekend and he faded down the leader board allowing people to once again ask the question… “What ever happened to David Duval?”
Well, he sure showed up at Bethpage.
Earlier the week before Duval had shot 66 and 69 to qualify for the open. He turned up at Bethpage, relishing the challenge ahead, and following on from his confidence; I put him in my 4 player fantasy team for the week… Long Shot I hear you cry…. Well we were on Long Island!!!
After an opening 67, and two 70’s to follow, Duval started the final day in the penultimate group at the US Open… David Duval! Wow what a story this was turning out to be…
After the rain and fading light halted him at the 3rd tee Sunday night. Duval started Monday morning on the 3rd. He slightly pulled his 4 iron on the par 3, and found the worst lie of the week by far. A wretched plugged lie under the bunker left Duval tapping in for a triple bogey 6... What a way to start!!!
However, Duval fought back, and with birdies at 4 and 8. Followed by birdies at 14, 15 and 16… and Duval stood on the 17th tee, one behind Lucas Glover! An unfortunate par lip-out left Duval at -2 and probably too far behind.
A par on the 18th and Duval finished with a 71 and a tie for second. He will return next year to the Open, play in the British Open in July and will try and build on the momentum from Bethpage, for the remainder of the year.
Pleased with my Fantasy pick that week… You betcha!!!
And then to Glover… Lucas Glover. The boy from South Carolina and a stand out at Clemson, with one PGA TOUR Victory to his name, how could he surprise the big guns at the Open?
Well with fairway after fairway hit, and lengthy putts made on the first 3 days, Glover was looking Ice Cool as he strolled through the fairways at Bethpage on Monday. With playing partner Ricky Barnes, looking a little out of his league, Glover struggled through the turn, but made a valuable birdie on the 16th to take a one shot lead with 2 holes to play.
After a par on the 17th tee, Glover stood on the 18th hole, needing a par to win. 3 years after Phil blew up on the 18th tee at Winged Foot, Glover kept his cool. A 6 iron off the tee, a wedge to the green and 2 putts later, Glover was US Open champion.
A fantastic feat for a quiet, shy golfer, a beloved Yankee fan in Yankee country, Glover was the 2009 Open champion at Bethpage Black.
The Black Course has a WARNING sign on the first tee, saying the course should only be played by “Very Good Players”. With only 5 players under par, on an easier than expected course due to the rain and soft conditions, the course definitely lived up to the “WARNING” sign…
P.S… So no mention of my man, Mr. Woods in this piece.
The 09 Open will be remembered for Tiger playing catch up ever since a 4over 4 hole stretch on Friday morning. In the toughest conditions and the wrong side of the draw, Tiger actually held it together until he played the 15th hole, a double there, a bogey at 17 and 18 and Tiger finished the first round at 4over par.
At the end of the week, Tiger finished at Even par… The winning score I hear you cry, Lucas Glover - -4under par.
You think Tiger would like to stand on that 15th tee, and play those last 4 holes of his first round again.
You betcha…
DJ – 07/06/09
