FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Listed at No. 71 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Lucas Glover became the fourth-lowest ranked player to win the U.S. Open since the inception of the ranking in 1986.
With Room To Spare...
Lucas Glover's 2-stroke triumph that earned him $1.35 million came in part thanks to his lone birdie of the day at the par-4 16th. Some key points:
- Second career win (first since '05 Funai Classic at Walt Disney World)
- Second player in 25 years (Lee Janzen, 1993 U.S. Open) to win a major in which he had never made the cut
- Best previous finish at a major was T-20 at 2007 Masters
- Third top-five finish of 2009 (T-2 at Quail Hollow, T-3 at Buick Invite)
- First qualifier to win U.S. Open since Michael Campbell in 2005
Not surprisingly, he isn't 71st anymore.
With his victory at Bethpage Black, Glover jumped 53 spots, moving up to 18th on the latest version of the OWGR. That places him above such former major champions as Ernie Els (19), Zach Johnson (21), Mike Weir (23), Retief Goosen (25) and reigning Masters champion Angel Cabrera (28).
Even prior to this latest climb in the rankings, Glover had enjoyed a rise of more than 100 places since the beginning of the year. Entering the first week of 2009, he was No. 178 in the world.
Of course, Glover wasn't the only player who enjoyed a significant move thanks to a strong U.S. Open result.
At this time a decade ago, David Duval was the world's top-ranked player, holding that distinction from March 28-Aug. 8, 1999. Prior to the U.S. Open, he had slipped all the way to No. 882, but a share of second place bumped him up to the 142nd position.
It was a similar story for another co-runner-up, as Ricky Barnes moved from No. 519 to 153rd based on the strength of his best career PGA Tour finish.
Jason Sobel covers golf for ESPN.com.
