Glover a fitting champion for weird week

Published Jun. 23, 2009 2:26 a.m. ET

foxsports

Lucas Glover teed off with a 6-iron on the final hole of the U.S. Open, a fitting conclusion to a weird and wild week at Bethpage, where the U.S. Open had more stops and starts than a 16-year-old learning to drive a stick shift.

Glover was crowned your champion Monday, shooting a 4-under 276 total at Bethpage Black to earn the finest spittoon in golf.

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Behind him on the leaderboard, Phil Mickelson (70) was trying to win for his ailing wife. David Duval (71) was attempting a return from the brink of obscurity, otherwise known as the 882nd spot in the Official World Golf Rankings. Ricky Barnes (76) was trying for his first victory, something you're not supposed to do at the U.S. Open, and avoid the baggage that comes from surrendering a 54-hole lead.

All of them challenged Glover, but fell two shots short. Tiger Woods even made a run, but by the end Glover had the luxury of hitting a mid-iron tee shot on the 72nd hole.

Somewhere, Jean van de Velde is filling out Glover's nomination for MENSA. Most people see Glover, with his thick Southern accent and wad of chew in his lip, and think he's straight out of a Jeff Foxworthy joke, though.

Couldn't be further from the truth. Glover used the constant rain delays to read four books this week, more than most PGA Tour players make their way through in a year.

"People have a vision of him, and they think, 'redneck,' and he's far from that," said his caddie, Don Cooper. "He's a very smart man. He can do a crossword puzzle before I can brush my teeth.