Lucas Glover had his own rooting section and he didn’t let them down.
The 43-year-old Glover closed with a two-under-par 68 to defeat Russell Henley and Byeong Hun An of South Korea by two strokes in 83rd Wyndham at Sedgewick Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.
“Daddy you won,” his young son Lucas Jr., yelled as he ran onto the 18th green along with his daughter, Lucille, who was simply in tears along with Glover’s wife, Krista.
Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, claimed his fifth PGA Tour victory and first since the 2021 John Deere Classic, even though he had to endure a two-hour rain delay in the afternoon before finishing the job.
“I’m too old to be on the road this much,” said Glover, who started the week at No. 112 in the FedEx Cup standings but climbed into the top 70 at No 49 to qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship thar opens the playoffs next week. “I’ve been busting my hump to be with them, be with my wife. I’m so happy.”
After the FedEx St. Jude Championship next week at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., the top 50 will advance to the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill., with the top 30 eventually making it to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta for the Tour Championship, in which, where the winner of the FedEx Cup will be determined.
Glover, who entered the final round of the Wyndham tied for the lead with Billy Horschel, made his lone bogey on the first hole and then made three birdies and 14 pars to record a winning score of 20-under-par 260. He has improved recently by overcoming problems with his putter.
“I just tried the long putter first,” said Glover, who went 10 years without winning from the 2011 Wells Fargo Championship to the John Deere two years ago. “I got to a point with putting, I needed a whole new brain function, a whole new method. I had two weeks off before Memorial and just ordered a new putter and taught myself how to use it, and I’ve been kind of sticking to that. It’s been fun to teach myself something in the game I’ve been doing for literally 40 years.
“It’s been all the difference in the world, Making all your tap-ins is nice. Yeah, I just feel good with it. When my speed’s good, I seem to make a lot of putts, so it’s been really good.
“I tried not to think too much about anything until the ending there.”
Henley, who led after each of the first two rounds with scores of 62-66, had a chance to catch Glover by playing bogey-free for 15 holes with four birdies, before making bogeys on each of his last three holes to card a 69.
An, who has won four times as professional but still is seeking his first PGA Tour victory, made five birdies in his 67.
“I felt a little jittery out there and just never got into a good sync with my swing, felt kind of rushed from the top of my swing, just didn’t do a good job of handling the restart,” said Henley, who finished in the top 10 in the Wyndham Championship for the fourth consecutive season. “I really enjoy this tournament, and maybe someday I’ll play well enough to win it.
“On No. 16, to come back into a divot, that’s a pretty tough break. On No. 17, I just hit a terrible shot and No. 18 was just not good enough to make a par. That’s all you need to know.”
Billy Horschel, who shot 62 on the second day and was tied for the lead with Glover after the third round, made his lone birdie on the last hole against three bogeys to shoot 72 and was four behind in a solo fourth, while Webb Simpson holed out from 36 feet for an eagle at No. 5 and birdied three of the last four holes in a 63 to tie for fifth, seven shots down, with Michael Kim of San Diego and Cal, who birdied two of the last four holes for a 68.
Adam Scott of Australia, the 2013 Masters champion, birdied four of the last six holes in a 63 to wind up eight strokes behind in a tie for seventh with Cam Davis of Australia, who collected five birdies in a 66, Brendon Todd, who made two late birdies in a 68, Adam Svensson of Canada, who made his lone bogey on the first hole in another 68, and J.T. Poston, who made three late birdies in another 68.
Even though Scott, who started the week at No. 82 in the FedEx Cup standings and played well, he wound on the outside of the playoff picture for the first time in his career at No. 72.
That was the same for two-time PGA champion and 2017 FedEx Cup winner Justin Thomas, who sank a 15-foot eagle putt at No. 15 is his 68, but only climbed eight spots in the FedEx Cup standings this week and wound up at No. 71.
Thomas’ third shot from 34 yards on the last hole hit the pin stopped about a foot away and he tapped in for a par. Had the ball gone in the hole for a birdie, he would have made it to the first round of the playoffs.
For complete results and FedEx Cup standings, visit: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard
