Remembering The 2009 US Open At Bethpage Black

May 08, 2019

A wet week at Bethpage led to a Monday finish where Lucas Glover eventually prevailed to win his first and only Major to date

Remembering The 2009 US Open At Bethpage Black

Bethpage State Park’s Black Course hosts the 2019 USPGA Championship, almost 10 years after it hosted its last Major.

The course was the venue for the 2009 US Open, but you may be forgiven for forgetting the tournament.

It was a memorable week for Lucas Glover, who won his first and only Major to date, but it won’t go down as one of the all-time greats.

Glover eventually outlasted Ricky Barnes, David Duval and Phil Mickelson to capture the trophy in what was a very wet week.

Ricky Barnes shot six over in the final round to spurn his lead. (Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon SMI/Corbis via Getty Images)

Ricky Barnes was in the driver’s seat after 54 holes, but five bogeys on his front nine in the final round derailed his hopes.

He eventually finished in T2nd after a six-over-par 76 to end at two under.

Lucas Glover closed with a 73 (+3) to win by two at four under.

The final round began on Sunday afternoon but the leaders Barnes and Glover only managed a single hole.

A fan sits alone on the 18th as rain forces a delay of the 2nd round. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

The weather was the story of the week, with the first round being suspended at 10.15am on Thursday morning and not restarting again until Friday morning.

Round two began on Friday afternoon and finished on Saturday afternoon, round three began on Saturday evening and finished late Sunday before the final round taking place late Sunday and for most of Monday.

(Photo by Rob Tringali/Sportschrome/Getty Images)

The 2009 US Open was another of Phil Mickelson‘s runner-up finishes and this was one of his best chances.

Lefty eagled the 13th to tie the lead, despite starting the round six back, but then missed chances at 14 and 16 which were sandwiched between a three-putt bogey at 15 and another at 17.

The World No.2 came close to winning his first US Open. (Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images)

“I put myself in a great position but didn’t finish it off – disappointed,” he said afterwards.

However, he could be forgiven as golf really wouldn’t have been on the forefront of his mind that week as his wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier in the year.

Mickelson announced that he was taking a break from golf indefinitely to be with Amy during her treatment.

Mickelson received great support from the New York fans. (Photo by Ron Antonelli/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

Thankfully Amy recovered and what followed were emotional scenes at the 2010 Masters when he captured his third Major Championship.

Former World Number One David Duval, who went from 882nd to 142nd in the world with his T2nd place, was well in with a shout after three birdies in a row on the back nine before a bogey on 17.

He ultimately finished two shy and that was after an ultimately costly triple-bogey at the par-3 third.

Ross Fisher was the top Englishman in fifth, his best Major performance to date.

Fisher reacts to a missed putt in the final round. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

However, he could have finished higher up the leaderboard had it not been for a cold putter.

Still, a one under par total won him nearly $300,000 and was just three back of the winning score.

Fisher finished T13th at the 2009 Open and T19th at the USPGA. He also won the 2009 Volvo World Match Play and reached a career-high 17th that year.

Tiger Woods was one further back, but got to one under on the back nine after birdies at 13 and 14, however a bogey at 15 halted his momentum.

(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Woods was double-defending champion of sorts, as he had won the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines and also prevailed at Bethpage at the 2002 US Open when the tournament was last held there.

It wasn’t to be for the World Number One who, like Fisher, struggled on the greens.

“My good putts aren’t going in and my bad putts aren’t even close. I gave myself so many chances. I made nothing,” he said.

Lucas Glover closed with a 73 to win his maiden Major by two, thanks to a level par back nine which included a birdie on the 16th and two pars to close out.

Glover tees off the 72nd hole. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

It was clutch from the American, who had won just one PGA Tour title before, had never had a top 10 in a Major and had never even made a cut at a US Open.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” Glover said.