On the Green

The world is in shock after Tiger Woods was beaten at his own game by late-night comedian Jimmy Fallon. That game, of course, is Tiger Woods PGA Tour '10 for the Nintendo Wii.

The No. 1 ranked golfer lost to Fallon in a three-hole competition held in Times Square Thursday morning before hundreds of amazed onlookers. The celebs played on a course that should be pretty familiar to local and national golf fans after last week's U.S. Open: Bethpage Black.

Fallon finished the three holes at 3 under par, while Woods parred the first two holes and then conceded before finishing the third hole.

"I just got killed at my own game," Woods said afterwards, according to the New York Post.

Woods, who finished sixth at the U.S. Open wore a trademark red Nike shirt and black pants.

Fallon said, "Tiger Woods is the biggest athlete in the world right now. But I'm better when it comes to playing with my Wii."

>> Click here to see photos of Tiger Woods battling Jimmy Fallon in Wii golf.

Photo: Getty Images

Matt Lowe of Farmingdale, the 13-year-old who was the youngest golfer in the country to attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open in his hometown (and made a creditable showing at the qualifying tournament at Cherry Valley in Garden City), has qualified for the Met Public Links Championshp to be held July 7 at the Links at Shirley.

Lowe shot 3-over par 74 Tall Grass CC in Shoreham, one of 18 players from a field of 136 to move on. John Herbert of Bethpage and Russell Aue of the Nassau Players Clug were co-medalists, each shooting par 71.

--Mark Herrmann

Phil Mickelson (-2) finished in a three-way tie for second place for his record fifth runner-up finish at the 109th U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. Four of the five second-place finishes occurred when New York hosted the tournament.

BY GREG LOGAN

The ending was bittersweet for both of them, but Hunter Mahan stood on the 18th green and applauded his playing partner and Ryder Cup teammate Phil Mickelson for yet another second-place finish in the U.S. Open today at Bethpage Black. The fans obviously responded to Mickelson's attempt to win the trophy for his cancer-stricken wife, Amy, and some players were equally touched.

"I was clapping for Phil, man," said Mahan, who wound up tied for sixth at even par 280. "Can't imagine what he's going through, what he's thinking right now. He played so hard. I don't think I've ever seen him so intense. You could just see his demeanor. He's enjoying the crowd. He was so focused, and I was so proud of how he played. It was inspiring to see a guy work that hard and try that hard for a championship and everything else."

Mahan said he was hoping to play the final round of the Open with Mickelson and was happy to get his wish. Starting at 2 under par, he came back from a bogey at the 10th with a birdie at No. 11 to get within two shots of the lead, but he got an unlucky break at the 16th hole, where his approach hit the pin and bounded off the green, leading to a bogey.

He shook it off, happy to have had the experience. "I wanted to be in tha tatmosphere, to be right in it," Mahan said. "It was great. The f ans are, especially here, are just awesome. So excited to see a great finish like we had. I couldn't ask for anything better…It was fun. I mean, Sunday with Phil at the U.S. Open. I would love to do that every year."

It was Monday, of course, but you get the idea.

BY GREG LOGAN

Phil Mickelson's manager and former coach at Arizona State, Steve Loy, stood outside the Bethpage State Park clubhouse with the weary look of a man who had read this story before and knew it ended in tears every time. His man was standing on the 17th tee tied for the U.S. Open lead with little-known Lucas Glover.

But just as he bogeyed the 17th in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills to fall behind Retief Goosen and doubled the 18th in 2006 at Winged Foot to lose out to Geoff Ogilvy, Mickelson bogeyed the 17th at Bethpage Black as Glover birdied the 16th to finish tied for second in the national championship for the fifth time in his career.

"We've had so many like this," Loy said with a sigh. "He doesn't always have his best game, but he always plays his heart out."

Mickelson could have given himself one last chance if he could have put his lob wedge from the upslope in front of the 18th green close to the hole location near the front of the green. But a player known for his touch with that club threw it well beyond the cup without enough spin to bring it back.

Birdie there would have gotten him to 3 under par, but he two-putted. "I don't think anybody got that shot close there," Loy said. "It's uphill, and you expect it to spin back, but it didn't do much. I don't think anybody played the right shot.

"You would expect Phil, of all people, to figure it out. But I still don't think it would have been enough."

Glover wound up winning by two strokes at 4-under par, but it would have been interesting to see how he might have reacted with only a one-stroke lead going to the 72nd hole. For Mickelson and his entourage, maybe next year.

Memo to self: Consult Boland before British Open.

Particularly if I happen to be somewhere at the time where sports wagering is legal.

Check out his take on possible winners before the U.S. Open began.

--Neil Best

Photo: Newsday/Kathy Kmonicek

Lucas Glover lifts the trophy after winning the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black (AP)

Lucas Glover, the co-leader entering play today, parred the 18th hole to clinch the 109th U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.

Glover (4-under) took a two-shot lead into the final hole and after Ricky Barnes missed his birdie chance moments earlier to take the pressure off, he calmly tapped in his par putt for the championship.

>>Click for the latest U.S. Open at Bethpage Black photos

This is Glover's first major championship and the trophy now doubles his collection as a PGA Tour pro. Glover shot a 3-over 73 in the final round, but was steady on the back en route to the title. After his bogey on No. 15 (five of the eight top finishers did the same), he birdied No. 16 to surge back to the top of the leaderboard.

Glover, who hails from South Carolina, loves New York. He honeymooned here and loves the Yankees. He loves it a lot more now.

UPDATE (No. 18): Here's a look at the leaderboard heading into the final hole:
Glover -4 (17)
Barnes -2 (17)
Mickelson -2 (F)
Duval -2 (F)
Fisher -1 (F)

Glover, wisely with an iron, shoots it down the right side and avoids trouble. For his second shot, Glover hit a 9-iron from 146 yards away to the left side of the green, about 30 feet from the hole. If Barnes doesn't birdie, Glover can three-putt for the U.S. Open.

Barnes misses his birdie by a hair. This tournament belongs to Glover ...

UPDATE (No. 17): Glover tees off on the par-3 17th with a one-shot lead in the U.S. Open and lands it on the green about 20 feet away. Barnes matches him with a very similar shot. (Mickelson missed his birdie putt at 18 -- barely -- so the tournament is officially Glover's to lose.)

He was a little tentative with his birdie try and has a 3-footer for par, which would give him a 2-shot lead heading into the final hole. Barnes missed his birdie chance, too.

Glover makes it. 4-under and a two-shot lead heading into the final hole at the 109th U.S. Open.

>>Click for the latest U.S. Open at Bethpage Black photos

UPDATE (No. 16): Glover comfortably in the right side of the fairway. (Micklseon, on the par-3 17th, missed the green.) Five people now at 3-under or 2-under, including David Duval, who just sank a birdie putt on 16 for a thre-way tie.

Barnes and Glover both have birdie putts on 16. Glover's is far easier though, as he stuck his 5 feet away. Barnes misses his (2-under) and Glover makes his to give himself the lead at 4-under with two holes to play in the U.S. Open.

Mickelson went driver off a shortened No. 18 and is in good shape not far from the green.

UPDATE (No. 15): Glover's tee shot found the first cut of rough. Barnes is in the fairway. Remember, he's just two shots back. Not out of it.

Of course, this hole -- the hardest out there -- has tripped up nearly everybody that's come through it, including Tiger and Phil.

Barnes' approach scooted by the hole and came to a rest off the back edge. Glover hit it softer than he would've liked, but the ball is dancing on the green. He's about 40 feet away ...

>>Click for the latest U.S. Open at Bethpage Black photos

Barnes nearly chipped his shot in and made his par putt to stay at 2-under. Glover was firm with his long putt and rolled it six feet past. Dangerous putt coming up ... and he misses it to drop back into a tie for the lead at 3-under.

>>Click for the latest U.S. Open at Bethpage Black photos

>>U.S. Open celebrities and fans photos

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>>Breakdown of each hole at Bethpage Black

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Continue reading "Lucas Glover wins the U.S. Open" »

Some fans went to great lengths to make sure they got a good view of Bethpage Black's 18th hole, where the 109th U.S. Open came to an end Monday.

Scroll down for a recap of Phil Mickelson's final round at Bethpage Black.

1 p.m. He goes with driver off 18 tee and crushes it to within 8 yards of the end of the fairway. He's sitting just below the green and absolutely has to get something close to the pin. And Glover has just birdied 16 for the out-right lead over David Duval and Mickelson is 2 back. Crowd is chanting "Let's go Phil,'' knowing their man may need to make a miracle eagle here. He doesn't get it, throwing the flop wedge high and 30 feet back of the cup, but it doesn't release much and stops 20 feet away. It's going to be downhill and fast from there. He rolls it down but breaks off just at the right edge. The tap in is for par. Standing ovation. MICKELSON 2-UNDER FOR THE TOURNAMENT.

12:48 p.m. Long iron off the tee and he's left it short and in the thick rough just beyond a bunker. The pin sits in the back middle of the green, so Mickelson will need a little of his short game magic to get up and down. From 50 feet, he flops it onto the green and it releases and creeps to about 7 feet. He misses on the lowside and is 1 back -- and Glover is looking at birdie on 16. MICKELSON 2-UNDER THROUGH 17.

12:35 p.m. On 16, tees it up on the left side of the tee box and muscles the driver out over the fairway. His ball comes to rest just a few feet beyond Hunter Mahan's --- both safely in the fairway, 150-160 yards away. Walking up the fairway Phil flashes "thumbs up'' to the gallery lining the ropes. He reaches the green, lowside, and is looking at 30-35 feet. He hammers the lag putt and it breaks away from the hole to 10 feet past. Back uphill and he drains it and he gets a share of the lead as Glover has a three-putt bogey on 15. MICKELSON 3-UNDER THROUGH 16 AND SHARES THE LEAD.

12:16 p.m. Going with driver off 15 tee, he has to wait to hit because the Mike Weir-Retief Goosen pairing just ahead has to wait for the green to clear. He starts it left, but it doesn't turn over enough and finds the second cut of rough, maybe 180 to 190 yards away. He hits the hybrid low and true to the middle of the green and rolls to the back, coming to rest 38 feet from the pin, just on the fringe. A good, safe shot, but a twisting left putt awaits. And there's mud on the ball that he can't clean. He leaves it four feet short and he pushes that one. Now he needs to save bogey from 3 1/2 feet ... and he does. MICKELSON 3-UNDER THROUGH 15, 1 BACK.

11:54 a.m. Phil hits a soft wedge to just shy of the middle of the green and it spins back down, inside of 20 feet. Mickelson has played this par-par-birdie in the first three rounds. The downhill put curls just left, and the tap-in is far par. MICKELSON 4-UNDER THROUGH 14.

11:46 a.m. Tees moved up on this hole (13) giving the field a shot to reach the green in two. And Mickelson finds another fairway, with a good angle into the green. From about 220 yards, his long iron zeroes in on the pin and runs up to inside 4 1/2 to 5 feet. He's looking at eagle 3 and a share of the lead. And he's got it. The first eagle on 13 all week. MICKELSON 4-UNDER THROUGH 13.

11:31 a.m. Mickelson is in the fairway with his drive, 190 from the green. He's on line with the approach, but it hits into the ridge of this sloping green and rolls back down to the front, 35 feet from the pin. And he makes it!!!! Birdie to get to within 2 shots of the lead. MICKELSON 2-UNDER THROUGH 12.

11:16 a.m. Phil is strong off the 11th tee and finds another fairway right down the middle. From 173 he hits maybe 8-iron just over the left bunker and onto to green, but he's way left of the pin, some 30-35 feet away. He two-putts. MICKELSON 1-UNDER THROUGH 11.

11:03 a.m. Off the 10th tee, Mickelson hits a fat drive but reaches the fairway. With a healthy 250 yards left, his hybrid is awful, short and 30 yards left of the green into the fescue, but he gets a break with the ball sitting in a matted down area. And his pitch is magical, hitting beyond the pin and spinning back to inside 4 feet. And he saves par. MICKELSON 1-UNDER THROUGH 10.

10:39 a.m. On hole 9 (Par 4, 460 yards) from the middle of the fairway, with 138-140 yards left to the hole, Mickelson debates club selection, the guages the wind and picks one of his three wedges. Be he even hits he says, "I love this one'' -- meaning the club. And he sticks it! Inside 3 1/2 feet and looking at birdie to get back into red numbers. This is a must putt. And he drops it. MICKELSON 1-UNDER THROUGH 9.

10:25 a.m. At 8, Phil hits a knock down 4-iron, but it doesn't turn over enough and stays left. He's on the green, but 55 feet away for birdie. The uphill lag isn't hard enough and he still has 6-7 feet left. He pours it in to save par. MICKELSON EVEN THROUGH 8.

10:16 a.m. The seventh hole sets up as the longest par 4 in U.S. Open history. A drive and approach set up a chip from just off the right side of the green. But the magic doesn't seem to be there for Mickelson today. This one checks up 12 feet short and he misses the par putt. Second straight bogey. MICKELSON EVEN THROUGH 7.

10:06 a.m. Playing at 375 yards on this final day, Phils hits iron off the tee and pulls it way left, beyond the third cut and into deep rough and deeper trouble. He made double here Sunday. He takes an unplayable lie and 1-stroke penalty. Takes a drop just to the left of the fairway bunker and should be able to muscle it out from there. He's long and left, but he is putting -- albeit from 35 feet and downhill. He lags back to about 5 feet just to save bogey. And bogey it is as he makes that putt. MICKELSON 1 UNDER THROUGH 6.

9:42 a.m. On the fifth hole, his driver finds the fairway, easily clearing the right cross bunker that looks so ominous to most players when they see it from the tee box. The approach will be from about 205, but more like 230 going uphill and into the stiff wind. His shot carries just over the left front bunker and onto the green, 42 feet below the hole. He backs off after a number of cameras go off, then lags up to within 18 inches left of the cup. Taps in for par. MICKELSON 2-UNDER THROUGH 5.

9:25 a.m. Anyone chasing the lead in the final round absolutely needs to make birdie. Mickelson has had to scramble here most of the week, escaping with pars the last two rounds. He hits driver off the tee, but his second shot finds the first bunker, 57 yards from the green. And now the first mistake of the day. His sand wedge is heavy from that bunker into a suddenly stiff breeze and catches the greenside bunker. Pops out of that trap, but with no spin on the ball, it slides 8 feet beyond the pin. But he drops the putt to save par. MICKELSON 2-UNDER THROUGH 4.

9:11 a.m. On hole 3 (Par 3, 232 yards) A crisp long iron to the left of this oval-shaped green, some 35 feet from the cup. His run-up leaves him 18-inches for tap-in and par. MICKELSON 2-UNDER THROUGH 3.

>> Click here for the most recent photos of Phil Mickelson

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Here's how the top six players have played holes 15-18 this week:

15th hole
Lucas Glover: E
Phil Mickelson: +2
Ross Fisher: +1
Hunter Mahan: +2
Ricky Barnes: +2
David Duval: E

16th hole
Lucas Glover: -2
Phil Mickelson: -1
Ross Fisher: +1
Hunter Mahan: -1
Ricky Barnes: -2
David Duval: E

17th hole
Lucas Glover: E
Phil Mickelson: -2
Ross Fisher: E
Hunter Mahan: -1
Ricky Barnes: -1
David Duval: -1

18th hole
Lucas Glover: -1
Phil Mickelson: -1
Ross Fisher: -3
Hunter Mahan: E
Ricky Barnes: E
David Duval: -2

15-18 total
Lucas Glover: -3
Phil Mickelson: -2
Ross Fisher: -2
Hunter Mahan: E
Ricky Barnes: -1
David Duval: -3