NOTHING could be finer for South Carolina’s Lucas Glover than his stunning victory in the 2009 US Open.

The unheralded 29 year old had only won one PGA Tour victory and took a week off the secondary Nationwide Tour in his successful attempt to qualify for the open.

Glover held on to finish at four under, leaving the trio of Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Ricky Barnes at two under.

Glover left it till the final round of the week to have his one and only three putt, but in the end he only needed to bogey the final hole to win after Barnes missed his birdie putt. Glover gratefully knocked it in for a par.

“It was a test of patience. It was tough,” Glover said later, cracking probably his first smile of the day. He wasn’t the only one doing it tough.

Barnes, who at one stage led the tournament with 12 under, posted a string of bogies during the final round but was still in with a rough chance on the final hole.

Crazy Phil Mickelson had a back nine charge, taking the joint lead with an eagle, but bogies on 16 and 17 saw him take the dubious honour of having the record for the most number of Open runner-up finishes. He now has five and leaves a distinctive list of golfing greats on four.

Mickelson was the clear crowd favourite and it looked for some time it would be a fairytale win, considering both his history at the tournament and his wife’s health issues.

Tiger Woods had his chances also, but the birdie putts just weren’t dropping for the great one.

In his first Open, Michael Sim was the best of the Australians and further added to his quickly growing reputation. He finished at four over tied for 18th. He needed to finish in the top 15 to guarantee a place next year, but the way his talent and composure has developed that shouldn’t be a problem.

Adam Scott failed to capitalise on his early success and finished on eight over, probably not too disappointing considering his indifferent form coming into the championship.

The only other Australian to make the cut, 2006 Champion Geoff Ogilvy, will be disappointed with his 12 over.

FORGET our previous story, regional Australians (and all those without ONE HD access) will once again be stiffed by Channel 10 and the Southern Cross regional network and they will not be getting full coverage of the Final Round of the 2009 US Open, which begins around 11pm Monday Sydney time tonight.

Channel 10 Network television and the Southern Cross Network will be broadcasting a portion of the final round from 12.10am Tuesday till 2.30 am.

Those able to get ONE HD or SD will get the broadcast from 11pm Monday till a forecast 5.15 am.

There must be some good reason why Network 10 needs to show (a probably out of date) David Letterman show. You never know with this show whether it’s a recent show or if George Bush will still be president.

At 12.10 am there will be golf – just enough of the final round to wet the appetite before, at 2.30am they switch over to the very necessary broadcast of a canned US religious show.

We suggested to Channel 10 that a lot of people might have sudden conversions at 2.30 when they realise the broadcast is being terminated.

Just switch over to ONE HD, they helpfully suggested.

The problem is, 5.7 million Australians can’t get it at all yet and not everyone has the digital equipment.

But then, why should Channel 10 give a shit about their loyal viewers.

(Update: In the end, the 10 network did broadcast the final till the last ball around 3.35am. If that was the original plan, why couldn’t they have had that information on hand for callers to the station. Maybe it just wasn’t the original plan. It certainly made the viewing even more compelling over the final four or five holes, thinking that at any moment the broadcast might end. Fortunately, we are now more aware of resources such as justin.tv, where you can get live sports and other events streamed live on the internet. Not alway the best solution, but with faster broadband becoming more available, people will no longer be at the whim of television networks who get the rights to important events and then only half-heartedly broadcast patches of them.)

Previous Story

REGIONAL Australians can rest easy with Channel 10 confirming it will broadcast the US Open Golf on its normal free to air service.

Golfers were understandably nervous that 10 would stick the Open on One HD, a service still unavailable to all those on the Southern Cross 10 network.

The SC10 “regional” network covers such out of the way places as Canberra (still apparently the national capital), Newcastle and Wollongong and all together there are a potential 5.7 million people in the viewing area waiting for the network to get its act together with the One Sports channel they continue to see touted.

A call to Channel 10 in Sydney confirmed the free to air broadcast on both Network 10 and One HD for the four days of the tournament beginning on June 19.

Those fortunate enough to have both the right digital equipment and be resident in metropolitan areas will be able to catch the action on HD.

Broadcast Times

The 2009 US OPEN to be televised LIVE on Network Ten and Ten’s ONE HD digital channel with more than 24 hours of live telecasts from Friday to Monday. The telecast will be shown on Friday and Saturday from 3am to 9am in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, 2:30am to 8:30am in Adelaide and 1am to 7am in Perth. Sunday’s coverage will air from 4am

to 10am in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, 3:30am to 9:30am in Adelaide and from 2am to 8am in Perth. The final round will be shown live Monday from 3:30am to 9:30am in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane,

3am to 9am in Adelaide and 1:30am to 7:30am in Perth.  Times are the same for both Ten and ONE HD.

EARLY tearaway leader Ricky Barnes had dropped a couple of strokes but Australia’s Michael Sim had faired little better as partial final rounds of the US Open were halted due to poor light.

Americans Barnes and Lucas Glover were at seven under after just one final round hole, with a resurgent Phil Mickelson looming behind at minus two.

Sim is paired with Tiger Woods (sitting on Even after seven holes) and both he and Adam Scott (9 holes completed) are at four over. Australian television coverage will recommence early Tuesday morning. Live Leaderboard below.

Day 2 & 3

ADAM SCOTT was sitting at two under par and was the surprise leading Australian midway through his US Open second round when the second day’s play was suspended as darkness fell.

Turning around recent poor form, Scott was in a tie for sixth place, four shots behind the leader, American Lucas Glover, who overtook Canada’s Mike Weir.

Scott was one of a number of competitors playing virtual back to back rounds after rain affected the first day. They had by far the best of conditions over others, including Tiger Woods, who will begin his second round overnight Australian time on four over.

MICHAEL SIM and 2006 champion Geoff Ogilvy were the leading Australians when heavy rain brought the first round of the 2009 US Open Golf to a premature end at Bethpage Black.

Half the field, including five Australians, had not teed off when play was halted and no one had made it past their 11th hole.

Sim and Ogilvy were one over par and two strokes behind the joint leaders after seven and five holes respectively.

Sim, continuing his great Nationwide Tour form, birdied his 5th hole and shared the lead but bogeyed his 6th and 7th holes (He started on the 10th. Ogilvy bogeyed the 12th.

Defending champion Tiger Woods was among the players to start his first round and had reached the seventh when the siren went to suspend play.

Woods was one-over-par – two behind four co-leaders, Johan Edfors, Andrew Parr, Ryan Spears and Jeff Brehaut – and headed for the clubhouse with a 10-foot putt for par on the green.

Robert Allenby (through seven) and Rod Pampling (four) sat at two over when officials decided at 2pm to abandon play.

The first round is due to resume at 7.30am local time on Friday.

With rain expected to continue into Friday – and Saturday promising a deluge equal to Thursday’s – Mike Davis, the USGA senior director of rules and competitions, said a Monday (Tuesday Australia) finish was looking a distinct possibility as the body would not contemplate deciding the champion in fewer than 72 holes.

“It’s only going to get worse but we will see what happens,” Englishman Paul Casey said of the weather forecast.

“You are certainly going to have to strike the ball very well but it’s going to be the guy who keeps his head this week.”

Preview

GEOFF OGILVY will lead a 12 strong Australasian contingent that includes four players making their debut when the 2009 US OPEN Championship begins at Bethpage State Park in New York Friday morning Australian time.

World number five Ogilvy, along with New Zealand’s Michael Campbell are former champions who will be vying for another shot at the title after winning the event in consecutive years. Campbell’s 2005 victory at Pinehurst over a stellar field, in particular holding out the challenge from Tiger Woods, will go down in the record books as one of the more remarkable wins in US Open history, while Ogilvy proved he had the mettle to outlast his then more fancied rivals Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie to claim victory a year later, ending an 11 year drought for the Australians at the Majors.

The pair head to Bethpage State Park alongside four newcomers to the Major’s scene, including Australians James Nitties, Michael Sim and Matthew Jones as well as New Zealander Doug Batty. All four qualified for the event through sectional qualifying.

In contrast 38 year old Stuart Appleby, making his 13th appearance, is the most experienced of the Aussie group.

The 2009 US Open Championship will be the 109th edition, and will be the second U.S. Open played at Bethpage Black; the first was won by Tiger Woods in 2002.

The Australasian Field of 12 is: Steve Allan, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Doug Batty (NZL), Michael Campbell (NZL), Matt Jones, James Nitties, Geoff Ogilvy, Rod Pampling, Adam Scott, Michael Sim and David Smail (NZL).

Last year Ogilvy finished the best of the Australasians on four-over par, five shots behind Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate in a tie for ninth. Woods eventually won the 18 hole playoff event.

Australian Television Broadcast Times

The US OPEN to be televised LIVE on Network Ten and Ten’s ONE HD digital channel with more than 24 hours of live telecasts from Friday to Monday. The telecast will be shown on Friday and Saturday from 3am to 9am in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, 2:30am to 8:30am in Adelaide and 1am to 7am in Perth. Sunday’s coverage will air from 4am to 10am in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, 3:30am to 9:30am in Adelaide and from 2am to 8am in Perth. The final round will be shown live Monday from 3:30am to 9:30am in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, 3am to 9am in Adelaide and 1:30am to 7:30am in Perth.  Times are the same for both Ten and ONE HD.

Photo: Fred Vuich.

This heavily bunkered green, large grandstands and lots of New York noise awaits US Open competitors on the par 3, 207 yard 17th at Bethpage Black.

US Open reports

Forty five year old US golfer Rocco Mediate lived the fairytale for 19 play off holes at the US Open at Torrey Pines before being eaten up by big bad Tiger Woods.

“Oh, my God, that was ridiculous,” Rocco, World No 157, said of his slightly better known opponent. “He’s hard to beat. I threw everything I had, the kitchen sink, everything right at him.”

Throughout the five days of a remarkable tournament, Rocco laughed and joked his way into being a crowd and viewer favorite.

Whatever happed on the course itself, it was remarkable that there were people sitting in the 18th hole grandstand at 6am, when the two players weren’t due to pass by there themselves, just once, till after one in the afternoon.

All the people in grandstands on the way – it was like going to the motor races when two cars were only going to do the circuit once. There was an estimated crowd of some 25,000.

When talking about Rocco, it is hard not to compare him to an animated character. He says all that smiling, chatter and pacing is nervous energy coming out.

When things started getting really serious in the playoff, -  particularly after the 10th and when Rocco came back and birdied 13, 14 and 15 and pulled one stroke ahead – it seemed when he wasn’t smiling he was sweating.  He looked like he was hyper sweating like some exaggerated cartoon character.

It should not be forgotten that Rocco is a 20 year tour veteran who has battled a bad back for a number of years. He would have been the youngest ever US Open winner and the youngest ever first time major winner.

Rocco knew he was living a golfing dream and was determined to enjoy every minute of it.

“It was a blast. I’ve never had more fun and more insanity. It’s just amazing,” he said after his fourth round tie with Woods forced the playoff.

“Oh, my God, I get to play for the National Open against the best player on earth, that maybe has ever played. How much more could you ask for?”

Tiger Woods V Rocco Mediate

Earlier US Open Reports

Update  19/6/08

Just days after winning his 14th major, Tiger Woods announced he will have reconstructive surgery on his left knee that will sideline him for the rest of the 2008 season.

Woods will have reconstructive surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament and will require time off to rehabilitate a double stress fracture of his left tibia that was found last month.

Doctors say the long term prognosis for the 32 year old is good, but Woods is expected to limit the number of tournaments he plays annually in future.

Round One

Australian golfers Geoff Ogilvy and Stuart Appleby are just one behind the leaders after the first round of the US Open Golf at Torrey Pines in southern California.

Ogilvy and Appleby were two under par at 69 behind the joint leaders, little known Americans Kevin Streelman and Justin Hicks.

Ogilvy, the 2006 champion, recovered from two bogeys in his opening three holes, to finish with five birdies.

Robert Allenby, who finished just one stroke further back, was earlier threatening the leaders and at one stage had five birdies in six holes.

It was also good to see two time champion Ernie Els back in contention. He finished one under along with Allenby, Vijay Singh and Crazy Phil Mickelson, who left his driver at home in favour of a three wood and an extra wedge.

World Number 3 Adam Scott was the next best Australian at two over, with Aaron Baddeley and Rod Pampling a further shot back at three-over.

The much hyped teaming of Tiger Woods-Crazy Phil-Adam Scott attracted huge galleries in the sell-out crowd (and the sort of blanket US network hyperventilating we predicted below).

The Woods-Crazy Phil-Scott show will be much better for free to air Australian television audiences Saturday morning, with the threesome scheduled to tee off 36 minutes after the Channel 10 coverage begins at 6am (EST).

That will be just after lunch San Diego time and the beverage fuelled afternoon crowd might not be as polite and cultured as they were for the group’s morning tee off today (Fri).

Galleries up to five deep surrounded every hole, producing a repeated chorus of “Lets go, Tiger” and “C’mon Phil.”

 ”I thought it was great,” Mickelson, who lives nearby, said of his home town crowd. “There were not any derogatory remarks. Whether they pulled for any of the three of us, everybody was really cool today. I was very proud to be from here.”

Mickelson acknowledged that there was not as much banter between the three competitors.

“I know it’s a big pairing,” Adam Scott admitted after the round. “There’s a lot of hoopla about it. But … I played with Phil a lot in majors. It seems like I get drawn with him a lot. But I enjoy playing with Tiger, as well. I find it is a lot easier to focus, because I think I’ve got to be a lot more disciplined.”

Scott – who corrected that it was a bone in his hand broken in a car door recently, not his little finger – was overall happy with his game. He just wanted to sink a few more putts.

That little finger, undamaged as it was, had a fair bit of media attention, but nothing like Tiger Wood’s knee.

Coming back after surgery, Woods hit his first competition shot – and his first shot of the US Open – into the rough, leading to a double-bogey first hole. He had another double bogey on the back nine and three putted the par five final hole to finish one over at 72.

“To make two double-bogeys and a three-putt and be only four back, that’s a great position to be in,” Woods said. “Because I know I can clean that up tomorrow.”

US Open first round scores:
-3: Justin Hicks 68, Kevin Streelman 68
-2: Stuart Appelby (Australia) 69, Eric Axley 69, Rocco Mediate 69, Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 69
-1: Robert Allenby (Australia) 70, Ernie Els 70, Ricki Fowler 70, Robert Karlsson 70, Lee Westwood
E: Patrick Sheehan 71, Joe Ogilvie 71, Phil Mickelson 71, Carl Pettersson 71, Andres Romero 71, Vijay Singh 71, Luke Donald 71

Others:
+2: Adam Scott (Australia) 73
+3: Rod Pampling (Australia) 74, Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 74
+4: Craig Parry (Australia) 75, Jarrod Lyle (Australia) 75
+6: Mathew Goggin (Australia) 77
+7: Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 78

Preview

Our prediction for the US Open is that the American television networks will be in an ecstatic frenzy of self pleasuring over the opportunity of having Tiger Woods and Crazy Phil Mickelson paired together for the two opening rounds.

Even some US commentators are suggesting there has already been too much hype about the coupling, especially considering Tiger’s dodgy knee and Crazy Phil’s form at the event, even though it is virtually a home town course for him.

Still, it will be fun to watch and the other good thing about the pairing is that it is actually a threesome, with World No 3 Aussie golfer Adam Scott intruding on the party.

Even the US networks won’t be able to ignore Scott completely in their frenzied focus on the Woods-Mickelson juggernaut, and we should at least get some passing glimpses of Adam – at least by accident.

Scott, nursing a broken right pinkie finger, (good opportunity for a non Woods-Mickelson close-up there) is one of nine Australian golfers competing at this year’s Open, to take place at Torrey Pines, San Diego, starting early Friday morning (EST).

It is a measure of the health of Australian golf that as a nation it has the third most starters behind the US (too many to count) and the UK (11 starters). Sweden has eight, Canada seven and South Africa six.

As well as Scott – still waiting to win his first major but at 27 has plenty of time – a number of Aussies have been mentioned as possible winners.

(And as for the experts’ picks, as one US golf writer suggested, hands up all those who predicted Argentinean Angel Cabrera would win the 2007 US Open at Oakmont, Aussie Geoff Ogilvy at Winged Foot in ’06 or Kiwi Michael Campbell at Pinehurst in ’05?)

As a former champion with a long game that is said will suit the punishing Torrey Pines south course, Ogilvy has been pushed as a contender.

Then there is Aaron Baddeley, who don’t forget was leading into the final round last year before imploding on the first few holes. He learnt a lot from that experience and is back with renewed confidence.

“I feel like my game is at that level,” Baddeley said this week.

“If I can play my game I definitely have a chance to win. You have to drive it straight. I can do that. I know I can putt well,” he said.

“Last year it was one of the hardest, if not the hardest, golf course in America. I was leading after 54 holes.”

Robert Allenby is another entering the tournament in a positive frame of mind after finishing equal second behind American Justin Leonard at the Stanford St Jude Championship.

Tasmanian Matthew Goggin is a 300/1 longshot, despite his recent hot form, and isn’t phased by the fact that at 6988m, Torrey Pines will be the longest ever US Open course by more than 300m. Goggin was surprised during his first practice round to encounter playable rough and soft greens.

“They’re obviously trying not to have the rough unplayable, to try to tempt you to go for the greens if you miss fairways,” Goggin said.

“I wouldn’t say this is the toughest course in America, but I guess we’ll find out. As a par 71, it’s going to be long and demanding but Oakmont (site of last year’s Open), I’ve never seen a course that hard.”

The other Australian entrants are Stuart Appleby, Jarrod Lyle, Rod Pampling and Craig Parry.

At 42, “Popeye” Parry is an ASG favourite. We are not saying he is going to win, but he does boast the best ever US Open round of any of the Australians competing this year – a 66 at Baltusrol in 1993. And, as well as bolting to win the Australian Open last year, he does have the added advantage of definitely not having been picked by any of the US pundits this week.

Note: Australian free to air television coverage of the US Open begins on Friday 6am – Midday (EST) on Channel Ten. By our (suspect) international time conversion calculations, that’s about five hours after the Woods-Crazy Phil-Adam Scott tee off.

We predict you can catch them teeing off for the second round at 6.36am on 10 on Saturday morning. Daily Foxtel coverage begins at Midday.

West Australian golfer Scott Strange has captured his first European Tour title by winning the Wales Open by four strokes at Celtic Manor.

Strange carded a closing seven-under 64 for a 22-under 262 total.

Swede Robert Karlsson, Strange’s only serious challenger in the latter stages, also closed with a 64 as both players produced a string of birdies.

Strange, leading the field by three strokes overnight was never headed.  The 31 year old from Perth strengthened his position with five birdies in seven holes, although Karlsson’s run of six birdies in a row around the turn saw him draw within two strokes of the lead.

But Karlsson, the 2006 winner, found water to bogey the 14th and his assault on the title faded away.

“I had no idea how Robert was doing or anyone else until when we walked to the 16th tee I asked my caddie if I was in the lead and he told me we had it by four,” Strange said.

Strange took charge of the event with an opening 63 over the Twenty Ten course that will host the 2010 Ryder Cup.

“This win will mean the world to my family and put a smile on a special person’s face,” he said.

The A$620,000 win was the biggest in Strange’s career and will also give him exemption in Europe until the end of 2010.

Meanwhile, Tasmanian Matthew Goggin is trying to stay upbeat after blowing a three shot lead in what would have been his first win in 185 US PGA career starts.

A poor start effectively cost the 33 year old Australian the Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village when he started with two nervous bogeys in the first four holes.

“I played well enough but the first four holes were just rubbish,” Goggin admitted. “I learnt I have a little bit of character and was able to pull through after a shocking start and not completely throw the thing in the toilet.

“It just took me four holes to calm down, and that was the difference.”

 Goggin was already focusing on what he could take with him from the experience to his next task -  a tough 36-hole US Open sectional qualifier in Memphis.

“It’s important to qualify, because I’m playing well and I feel like the US Open suits the way I play,” he told reporters.

“It would be nice to have a three-shot lead going into Sunday there and try again.” he suggested hopefully.