Being the U.S. Open champion won't change Glover

Lucas Glover was spending Tuesday making the rounds in New York with his new U.S. Open trophy.

He was on Regis Philbin's morning show, did some ESPN stuff and was booked to be on 'The Late Show With David Letterman,' pretty heady stuff for a guy most golf fans only had a vague awareness of before the U.S. Open.

Nothing will ever be the same for Glover, though I'm thinking he won't change. He's a solid guy, somebody you'd like to spend time with.

He'll go on being Lucas, keeping up with Clemson football, staying close with his friends, being nice to everybody he comes in contact with.

As U.S. Open champion, he's probably going to be on the President's Cup team this fall and there's a good chance he'll be on the Ryder Cup team next year in Wales. He nearly ruined his game trying to make the Ryder Cup team in 2006 but now he's older, wiser and knows better how to handle expectations, particularly his own.

Glover understands he may not have been the most popular champion Monday at Bethpage. Phil Mickelson's story was so compelling as was David Duval's retuurn to glory. Ricky Barnes, meanwhile, was the ultimate underdog.

Glover, though, emerged as a worthy champion. He played better than everyone and he earned it. When it came time for someone to win the U.S. Open, Glover grabbed it with his birdie on the 16th hole.

As people get to know more about Glover, they'll come to like him even more.

How do you not like a U.S. Open champion who plans to go back to his favorite barbecue joint for lunch when he gets back home to Greenville, S.C.?