PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Lucas Glover got this close to having the repo man show up at his house to take back the U.S. Open trophy two weeks ago.
“I was supposed to (send) it when I was home, and I forgot,” Glover said. “They kind of had to call and say, ‘You know, we kind of need that, so if you could get that to us, we would appreciate it.’ “
It’s easy to see why Glover hoarded the sterling silver cup he won at Bethpage last year as long as possible. After all, once the previous champion sends it back to its rightful USGA owners, it becomes improbable to get it back anytime soon. No one has won consecutive U.S. Opens since Curtis Strange in 1988-89. Ben Hogan is the only other two-time defender this side of World War II, and that was some 60 years ago.
Glover said he thinks one reason no one gets called the “two-time defending U.S. Open champion” is because the field is so tough, but the same cast plays at the Masters and PGA Championship, where repeats are more common.
Ernie Els, who won the U.S. Open in 1994 and 1997, said it comes down to the annual change of diverse venues.
“Each and every venue the USGA goes to, West Coast, East Coast, they just give you the ultimate challenge,” Els said. “There’s just no other test like it.”
Let’s hope the USGA gives the trophy a good scrubbing before handing it to a new champion.
“Some friends took it over in a corner and filled it up with stuff and drank out of it,” Glover said. “But nothing really outlandish.”
