Money train began in Oklahoma for U.S. Open champ
Lucas Glover just pocketed $1,350,000 for winning the 109th U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park (Black Course).
That gives Glover career earnings on the PGA Tour in excess of $10.5 million.
Glover’s very first paycheck after turning pro came Sept. 23, 2001, at the Oak Tree Country Club East Course in Edmond, where he won the Oklahoma Open and pocketed $27,000.
Below is the story that appeared in The Oklahoman:
Glover uncanny, but victorious
BYLINE: John Rohde, Staff Writer
SECTION: SPORTS;
LENGTH: 586 words
DATELINE: EDMOND
Before he teed off Sunday for the final round of the Oklahoma Open, second-round leader Lucas Glover made up his mind even-par would be a good score.
Par is precisely what Glover shot on the Oak Tree Country Club East Course, but it came with a rather unnerving combination of six birdies, six pars and six bogeys.
His 9-under-par 201 tournament total was good for a three-shot victory over former Oklahoma All-American Grant Masson and TCU product Albert Ochoa.
The 21-year-old Glover, a member of the Walker and Palmer Cup teams this summer, earned a first-place check of $ 27,000 in his professional debut.
“I don’t really know what to say, except that I’m really happy,” said the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Clemson product.
Glover will make his debut on the PGA Tour at the Texas Open this week.
The $ 150,000 Open, sponsored by Oklahoma Ford Dealers, was the first stroke-play tournament Glover had played in seven weeks. His two previous outings were in the Walker Cup and U.S. Amateur, both match-play formats.
“I was a little rusty until the second round,” said Glover, who carded rounds of 66-65-70. “The rust kind of shook off the first day, then the putter really got hot and I had a feeling it was going to be a good week.”
With the winds up, the flagsticks tucked and the greens firm, par became a premium on Sunday.
Friday’s low round was a 62 from John Engler, who was Glover’s college teammate.
Saturday’s low was Kory Bowman’s 63, which featured an ace.
Sunday’s low was 67, shot by four players.
“I knew if I played 2-under, 1-under or maybe even, somebody was going to have to play real good to beat that,” Glover said. “You have to get in the frame of mind to make pars.”
Sunday’s wind howled 25-30 mph out of the northeast on a course designed for a predominately south breeze.
After tranquil days the first two rounds, the 7,087-yard Pete Dye layout revealed playing conditions rarely seen even by longtime Oak Tree members.
Glover took a one-shot lead into the final round and was joined in the final threesome by Engler and Masson.
When Engler and Masson struggled on the front nine, Glover opened a four-shot lead.
“I knew I had to keep pressing,” Glover said. “I was watching them and knew when they got to going the wrong way that I could probably sneak in. Then I got wind that Albert was playing really well.”
Ochoa applied pressure on the back nine and trailed by one shot while playing the par-3 17th hole.
Glover birdied from 25 feet on No. 16 then watched from No. 17 tee as Ochoa bogeyed the hole.
A birdie from 8 feet on No. 17 gave Glover a four-shot lead going into the 467-yard, par-4 closing hole.
Glover played it safe, laid up away from the water hazard lining the left side of the fairway, and eventually tapped in for bogey. He had only one 3-putt in 54 holes.
Engler tied for seventh. His closing 76 was 14 strokes higher than his record-tying opening round.
Asked if he said anything to his former teammate, Glover said, “He knows I feel for him. There’s nothing you can say that sounds right after a player like him shoots that. But he knows I’m pulling for him.”
Canadian Tour player John Duoma of Scottsdale, Ariz., and former OSU All-American Ed Loar tied for fourth at 206.
Oklahoma State junior J.C. DeLeon, who tied for 13th at 209, was low amateur and won the inaugural Charlie Coe Memorial Trophy.
Defending champion John Bizik of Grove tied for 29th at 213.
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