Glover gives himself a shot at history

CHASKA, Minn. -- Earlier this week Lucas Glover talked about how Tiger Woods thanked him for coming to his tournament at the AT&T National. However, the U.S. Open champ shouldn't expect the man to thank him for coming on again in a major championship. Less than two months removed from his surprising win at Bethpage, Glover was hanging around the top of the leader board again, backing up opening scores of 71-70 with a one under-par 71, leaving him four shots off the lead, but with only three players to jump over. Although farther back than he was after 54 holes at Bethpage (he trailed Ricky Barnes by one there), Glover is looking at the situation in the same context. "Different margin but a similar mindset," said Glover. "I'm in decent position and we'll see what happens." [#image: /photos/55ad71d8b01eefe207f686f2]|||gloverweb.jpg|||

Pretty casual talk for a man who could join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to win the U.S. Open and PGA Championship in the same year. Not that Glover is being self-deprecating. Over the post-Open fatigue, Glover now possesses a self-belief that may have been missing before Bethpage. "Just a sense that I could do it," explains Glover of the confidence boost. "You know, pretty high pressure that week and I performed, and that was very comforting. I performed under the gun, and that's a good feeling." Glover performed admirably under the gun again Saturday. Although he left a few on the course (most notably following a bogey on 13 with a bad three-jack after driving the green on the par-4 14th), Glover, using accurate driving and solid putting, steadied himself with a birdie and three pars coming in to make him the only player other than Woods with three rounds under par this week. Although overtaking Woods would be a monumental task Sunday, Glover isn't sweating it. Something that Glover wouldn't mind doing more often, however, whether at the PGA or elsewhere, is visiting the winner's circle more often. "I think winning any tournament is important," he says. "I don't think -- I don't think I have to validate anything. I've been out here six years and had a pretty good career. It would be nice to win another [major]. But I'mnot looking to prove anything to anybody else." -- E. Michael JohnsonÂ

(Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)