Patience the key says Glover

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June 23, 2009

US Open champion Lucas Glover has pinpointed his patience as the key to his victory at the US Open on Monday.

US Open champion Lucas Glover has pinpointed his patience as the key to his first major victory at Bethpage Black on Monday.
As overnight co-leader Ricky Barnes unravelled alongside him, fellow American Glover, having battled the weather for five days, withstood a final-round charge from some of the world’s best golfers to hang on for a two-stroke victory in a championship where he had not made the cut in his three previous attempts.
“I held it together and that’s important,” Glover said.
“The patience thing I’ve been preaching all week to myself and to you guys and everybody else paid off.
“I could have got upset with myself after nine (the third bogey on his front nine), chip it out, wedge it close, whatever. But I was patient.
“I made the turn and said, ‘all right, put a good nine holes together and see where we stand.
“I did. Bogeyed 15 and birdie 16 and parred the rest, and on that back nine and being in contention it was enough.”
Glover had played Bethpage Black on his US Open debut in 2002 and missed the cut at 11 over par, the first of three early exits from the tournament at a combined 34 over.
Yet he said the par-70 Long Island course was set up really well for him.
He added: “The length for one. I’m fairly long. I’m not statistically as long as I used to be on tour. And I usually drive it fairly straight.
“And I knew after ’02, I knew if I had my driver worked out starting this week, I could play well here.
“And then the soft conditions allowed me to go at some flags, and I was putting okay and made some birdies.
“I like the way it looked. And anytime a course suits your eye or you like the way it looks; a lot of the tee shots and into the greens and stuff, you can feel you can play well. That was the main thing; I liked the way the course looked.”
Glover joked that his major breakthrough now guaranteed him good performances at every tournament.
“If I can win this one, I guess I can play all right,” he said.
“I should play all right every week. I’m just kidding…It’s going to be a big confidence boost.”