Fisher lands best finish

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), June 23, 2009

ROSS FISHER last night hailed surprise US Open champion Lucas Glover as a worthy winner after the American held off the world's best players at Bethpage Black.

England's Fisher landed his best finish in a major when he placed fifth, three shots behind Glover as the raindrenched 2009 US Open finally came to a conclusion in dramatic fashion on its fifth day.

Fisher, 28, was in contention himself until a three-putt bogey at the par three 17th hole put paid to his chances and those of Phil Mickelson and David Duval as Glover kept his cool to carry his lead home for the title.

Fisher congratulated Glover on conquering the fair but challenging 7,426-yard Bethpage Black course and the field in some of the wettest conditions ever seen at a US Open.

"To play that golf course under normal US Open conditions would have been brutally tough," Fisher said. "But it was long. It was tough. But I think overall it's been a very fair test. And I think you'll see a true, worthwhile champion.

"I think Lucas should be able to pull it off." Fisher, though, was disappointed not to have done better with his putter.

"I think I'll probably go home and work on my putting, because not being funny, but if I would have held just a couple of putts, I think I could have won this comfortably," he said.

"I feel like I've hit the ball so, so good; probably the best I've hit it ever in a tournament.

Just couldn't hole any putts."