Glover quietly working away
Seems to me that Love has always denied saying that, but anyway, my bigger concern was this: What did that have to do with the 138th Open Championship, which commences today at Turnberry?
For one, came the answer, Love is paired with Lawrie in Game 42 today. Given that we’re 10 years removed from Carnoustie, it made sense to yawn.
For another, the insinuation was put forth that another recent major championship, the US Open, was similarly played with and thus did officials get the undeserving champion they deserved.
Ouch.
Guy shoots a second-round 64 – which is only one off the US Open record, by the way – gets chased down by giants past (David Duval) and present (Phil Mickelson), but holds them off with a birdie, par, par finish to win his first major championship and he’s the reincarnation of Paul Lawrie?
Double ouch.
Yes, Lucas Glover had only won once in 166 PGA Tour tournaments. And yes, he had fallen to 105th on the money list in 2008. Neither of those points had prompted you to pick him to win the US Open, of course, but neither had they chased you from his corner.
That’s because Glover is one of those rare players who makes you stop and take notice and conclude that you are setting your eyes on a no-nonsense, straight-shooting chap who is golf stripped to its purest. He stands up, picks a line, and hits it.
No 30-second routine, no caddie getting him aligned, no endless succession of hand waggles.
Oh, and what you also don’t get with Glover are pink and lime and an assortment of pastels to send you running to the sunglasses. He’s more of a khaki and solid-colour shirt sort of guy, because he’s always felt his golf should earn him notice, not his wardrobe.
In other words, in a world getting more and more contrived by the moment, Glover is a breath of fresh air. He’s also not the least bit ruffled by the perception that he’s a surprise winner of the US Open and thus a quiet presence here at Turnberry.
“That’s the case and rightly so,” said Glover, 29. “That was the first big thing a couple of weeks ago. But that’s fine.”
It’s fine, because Glover is firmly in possession of perspective. He was nurtured into the pro golf world by arguably the first family of instruction, the Harmons (the late Dick Harmon was his swing coach; brothers Butch, Craig, and Billy are like uncles), who placed a premium on substance, not flash.
Glover learned the lesson well, which is why he didn’t unleash any hyperbole when asked about Turnberry and his chances in his fourth British Open.
“Find some fairways, keep it out of the high stuff,” Glover said. “We’ll check it out and get a game plan going.”
Simple and totally devoid of the sort of glitz that gets sportswriters all excited, but so what? Glover is a golfer, not an orator.
Since winning the US Open, guess what Glover has done? He’s played golf in each of three weeks, refusing to do what so many others would have done – cite exhaustion and beg off.
“I committed to play and it wouldn’t look right to withdraw, just because I won,” he said.
There have been 10 rounds since his closing 73 earned him the US Open and Glover has broken 70 seven times and been over par just once. In other words, he’s in form on the course.
Off-course? Well, there was this example during yesterday’s practice round as he walked from the third green to the fourth tee. Glover signed autographs for a handful of folks, put his head down and charged forward, then caught out of the corner of his eye a gentleman standing by himself.
“Sorry, sir,” Glover said. “Did I miss you?”
The man extended a hat, Glover signed it, then returned the man’s thanks with a thanks of his own.
“Great to be here,” Glover said.
He sounded like a man who plans on being around well into the weekend.
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