Nature overshadows Glover's Bethpage victory

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

FARMINGDALE, New York (Reuters) - Former major winners Phil Mickelson and David Duval provided the late spark and champion Lucas Glover nerves of steel but the 109th U.S. Open will primarily be remembered for Mother Nature.

When Glover sealed a surprise two-shot victory with steady pars on the last two holes at Bethpage Black on Monday, there was a collective sigh of relief that the seemingly interminable event had at last ended.

Not since 1983 had the U.S. Open spilt over into a fifth day without requiring a playoff. For much of last week it seemed the 2009 edition was capable of going into a sixth and possibly seventh day in the face of bleak forecasts.

Persistent rain on Long Island over the last six weeks had saturated the par-70 Bethpage layout and with just 3- hours of golf possible on the scheduled opening day, the year's second major was thrown into disarray.

Rounds and days merged into a dizzying haze as the tournament's organisers and Bethpage's groundskeepers worked feverishly to play catch-up.

The players were hurled on to a roller-coaster of late finishes, early starts and occasional mudballs while the fans, turning out in impressive numbers, had to negotiate quagmires out on the course along with heavy downpours.

"We couldn't even remember what day we were playing," said world number one and defending champion Tiger Woods, who tied for sixth after playing in the tougher half of the draw at Bethpage. "It just all blurs together."

Britain's flamboyantly dressed Ian Poulter, who kept his supporters up-to-date with regular postings on twitter throughout the tournament, wrote: "It was the strangest week ever. Flippers and snorkel required."