In a final hour packed with emotion, Lucas Glover played a steady hand to win the US Open. So many amazing stories belonged to contenders all around him yesterday at Bethpage Black, from Phil Mickelson's stirring bid to win for his beloved wife as she battles breast cancer, to David Duval coming out of nowhere and almost winning for the first time in eight years.

Glover finished at 4-under 276, earned US$1.35 million (J$120.2 million) and will move inside the top 20 in the world ranking.

Rain-delayed

He made only one birdie in the rain-delayed final round and it could not have been timed any better. Glover holed a six-foot putt on the 16th hole to break one last tie for the lead, then held on with pars to close with a 3-over 73 for a two-shot victory.

"It was a test of patience, that's for sure," Glover said. "It was just heart today."

It was sheer heartache for Mickelson. He missed a three-foot par putt on the 15th hole and another par putt from eight feet on the 17th that ended his dream finish. Mickelson closed with a 70 and wound up in a three-way tie for second with Duval and 54-hole leader Ricky Barnes.

Runner-up finish

Mickelson left Bethpage Black with the wrong kind of distinction. He set the US Open record with his fifth runner-up finish.

Even more stunning was the revival of Duval. The former No. 1 player in golf came to the US Open as a qualifier who had plunged to No. 882 in the world. Showing remarkable resiliency throughout the week, Duval recovered from another big number - a triple bogey from a plugged lie in a bunker - and surged into a share of the lead with three straight birdies.

Tied for the lead with two holes to play, his 5-foot par putt on the 17th cruelly caught the back of the lip and spun 180 degrees out on the other side. He shot 71 for his best finish on the PGA Tour since he won the British Open eight years ago.

It was the first time the U.S. Open ended on a Monday without a play-off since 1983, courtesy of relentless rain.

For the first time in five years, all the major trophies belong to someone other than Tiger Woods. The defending champion reached under par for the first time all week at the par-3 14th, leaving him four shots out of the lead but running out of holes. Not that it mattered. He hit a 5-iron over the 15th green to make bogey, and had to settle for a 69 that left him in a tie for sixth, four shots out of the lead.

"I striped it this week," Woods said. "I hit it just like I did at Memorial, and unfortunately, I didn't make anything."