Glover making the rounds

So there was Lucas Glover on Tuesday, hours removed from sinking the final putt at Bethpage Black. First came an appearance on “Live with Regis and Kelly,’’ then a trip to the top of the Empire State Building with his wife, Jennifer. A half-dozen radio interviews followed, as did a visit to the “Late Show with David Letterman,’’ where Glover read the Top Ten List. All the while, the new national champion had the US Open trophy nearby for the cameras and the photo opportunities. Hardly a surprise.

But considering that Glover went from New York to Connecticut, and will tee it up today at the TPC River Highlands in the Travelers Championship? That could be viewed as a surprise.

“Just because I won a golf tournament doesn’t change anything,’’ Glover said, perhaps not knowing he couldn’t be more wrong. “I was committed before the US Open, and I’m going to keep those commitments. I feel that’s the right thing to do.’’

So there he was yesterday, meeting with the media, being introduced on the first tee of his pro-am round as the 2009 US Open champion, and getting a face full of shaving cream, courtesy of fellow PGA Tour pro Johnson Wagner. Glover, who may have been comfortable going about his business far from the spotlight before, will need to get used to all the hoopla that winning a US Open brings.

“You know, I don’t crave the attention that I got [Tuesday]. But it was there, and it was really fun,’’ Glover said. “I don’t think I could do that every day. But it was a good time. Jennifer and I had a great time, and we’re starting to enjoy it.’’

The past two days may have been an experience he never expected and certainly won’t forget, but Glover will try to return to his normal routine when he joins Vijay Singh and Chad Campbell on the first tee at 1:03 p.m. Life may never be the same, but now that the first round of his next tournament is here, Glover is attempting to keep his week as normal as possible.

“One thing I told him, not that I can offer any advice, but the best thing he can do is get inside the ropes,’’ said Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion and a two-time winner this year. “When you’re in contention in a big tournament or even if you win a big tournament, you want to maintain that rhythm and that momentum.’’

That’s exactly what Glover has in mind.

“I’ve got to use last week as a springboard,’’ he said. “I don’t want to fizzle out after two wins or after one big win. I want to use that as motivation to keep getting better and back in that situation.’’

Glover may be trying to focus on the present, but everyone else is asking him about what just transpired on Long Island. He received a steady stream of congratulations from his colleagues on the driving range yesterday, phone calls, text messages. Even Glover, when pressed by the media, marveled at what life was like as a newly minted major champion.

“Each thing was very different, I don’t want to rank one ahead of the other,’’ he said. “Regis and Kelly was great. The Empire State Building, we were on the 103d floor, it’s not open to the public. That was pretty wild to see those views. And Letterman was great.’’

He earned those rewards by keeping his poise during a disjointed week of weather delays, evening tee times, and five days of competition. Pushed by Phil Mickelson and David Duval, among others, Glover didn’t show many cracks in his game. He kept his ball in play, brushed aside unfortunate bounces, and kept grinding.

With three holes left, he was tied for the lead. A birdie-par-par finish gave Glover the victory. He credited his focus, and his unwillingness to think about what might be waiting on the 18th green.

“Never did I think if I keep doing what I’m doing I’m going to win,’’ Glover said.

Whatever the plan was, it worked. The trophy isn’t here - Jennifer Glover flew home yesterday and took it with her - but the memories are. His record at the Travelers Championship isn’t great: Four starts, three missed cuts. But then again, he didn’t bring a good US Open record to Bethpage Black. Glover had missed the cut all three times he had played, but found the right formula over five days.

Starting today, the venue changes, but the approach does not.

“I can’t get my expectations too high,’’ Glover said. “Same mind-set as last week. Be patient, and see how many birdies I can make.’’

Length didn't matter

Much of the pre-tournament focus was on Bethpage Black’s length, which featured three par-4 holes more than 500 yards, led by the 525-yard seventh.

But the weather prompted the USGA to move several tees up, perhaps partly to eliminate a repeat of 2002, when a cold morning at Bethpage Black during the second round prevented some players from reaching a few fairways.

Instead of 525 yards, the seventh played 489 yards. Tee box selections also made the 10th play 30 yards shorter, and the 11th 25 yards shorter. Par-3 lengths were also flexible; the eighth ranged from 142 yards to 226 yards; for the final round, the 14th played just 127, with a front-left pin placement giving players only the tiniest of targets.

The 18th hole was also shortened some 50 yards for the final round, and with the wind, some players hit their drives close to the green. Phil Mickelson had only 34 yards left for his second shot.

More from the Open: Ricky Barnes (67-65) set the record for the lowest first two rounds of the US Open. Seven of the best 11 scores from the first two rounds have occurred since 2003. The four exceptions: Jack Nicklaus (134) in 1980, T.C. Chen (134) in 1985, Lee Janzen (134) in 1993, and Tiger Woods (134) in 2000. Chen was the only one who didn’t go on to win.

And four players from the same club in California competed. John Mallinger, John Merrick, and Peter Tomasulo, who play out of Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif., were joined by the club’s pro, Mike Miles. Mallinger was the only one who made the cut.

Parr is a great story at the US Open

This year offered, among many others, Andrew Parr, a 26-year-old Canadian who was one of four players at 1 under when play was called after only three hours of the first round. Parr, who eventually missed the cut with rounds of 74-72, was happy just to be at Bethpage Black. He suffered a stroke in October 2007, temporarily paralyzing him on his right side. He was hospitalized for a week and had balance and equilibrium issues. He’s made a full recovery.

“It changed my life for the best,’’ Parr said. “I always looked ahead to the future and was focused on my career and took a lot of things for granted - my family and other relationships. Now I play golf every day for fun. Not too worried about where I’m going but enjoying the ride as I go.’’

And speaking of great stories, Boo Weekley rarely disappoints. He aggravated a shoulder injury at The Players Championship, and returned to miss the cut at the St. Jude Classic and the US Open.

Weekley says he has a torn labrum, an injury he’s had for eight or nine years, and treats it occasionally with a cortisone shot. Forced to take a month off, Weekley, who lives in Jay, Fla., north of Pensacola, said he only hit balls twice and played three times. What else has he been up to? “Just been driving the tractor around, bush hogging, fixing up my yard, moving dirt. You know, throwing sod. I ain’t fished hardly none . . . You know, hurricane season is down there right now. So I’ve kind of got into the strapping down everything mode just in case I ain’t home when one decides to pop up in the Gulf.’’

Etc.