Three Big Reasons to Watch Golf on Monday

If you have work today, skip it! But if that’s impossible, NBC.com has live streaming coverage for you to stay tuned, while your unsuspecting boss is none the wiser.

The U.S. Open is always golf’s toughest test, requiring mental toughness, physical strength, and this year, incredible adaptability. Due to an unbelievable amount of rain in New York, Thursday’s first round was almost completely pushed to Friday, and the players have been attempting to catch up ever since. Three full days of golf later, and the co-leaders, Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes, are on the second hole of their fourth and final round, both at -7. If either of these two, who have absolutely no PGA Tour victories between them, can hold on to their emotions and win, good for them. But there are a few players directly below them on the leaderboard who have been there before and are ready to pounce if they can’t hang on.

Phil Mickleson:

“Lefty” sits in third place at -2, five shots back. He is playing in his first PGA tournament since his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer two months ago. The world’s number two ranked golfer, who is always a fan favourite in New York, certainly has received the largest cheers this week, as he is the sentimental favorite as well.

Tiger Woods:

Before the light failed on Sunday night, Tiger popped in a birdie on the 7th hole at Bethpage Black. Even though he’s been off his game for three rounds, he has a chance. If he can get dialed in for the 11 holes he has left to play, the seven shot deficit he faces may very well be overcome.

Mike Weir:

Canada’s best golfer is once again showing that he is one of the best in the world. His first round score of 64 tied an all-time U.S. Open Record and forced the others to catch up. Unfortunately they did, and three holes into the final round, he sits at -1, six shots off the lead. After his second round, Weir wrote on his blog,

“Before I won the Masters if you'd asked me what major I thought my game was best-suited for, I'd have said the U.S. Open. I like the difficulty, like the challenge both mental and physical, that's presented.”

Sitting between Woods and Mickleson on the leaderboard, if Weir plays like he did on Friday morning, his U.S Open dreams may finally come true, and America’s Championship trophy may very well travel north of the Border.

GO CANADA!!