By Ken Love

For the Mirror

I’ve been a golf fan for many years, but I cannot remember seeing anything quite like the turn around Lucas Glover has made in his golf game over the past few weeks.

A career journeyman, the 43-year-old Glover had just four career victories (including the 2009 U.S. Open) coming into this year. Always known as a great ball-striker, Glover’s weakness on the greens has always held him back.

Desperate to improve, Glover decided to switch to a long-putter in June, and the change quickly paid major dividends.

Two weeks ago, Glover captured the Wyndham Championship to secure a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs. The win came as surprise to many experts.

He quickly followed that victory with another win last week in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

In just two weeks, Glover’s season ranking soared from the 112th spot to his current rank of fourth.

With just two events left in the season, it will be fun to see if Glover can move up even further…Amazingly, he has a very legitimate shot at earning the top spot in the season-ending FedEx Cup series, and a cool $18 million first prize.

There are plenty of golfers I wouldn’t mind coming out on top, but I’ll be rooting for Glover.

John Zimmers

I had the pleasure of talking with Tyrone-native John Zimmers several times over the past month for a story I was writing about Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

Zimmers is such a smart, hard-working guy, and his life story always amazes me: He startied in the business after answering a newspaper ad for golf course workers in Wilmington, DE. Later, he earned a degree in turf management from Rutgers University and became the head superintendent at a prestigious new course in Ohio.

By his late 30s, Zimmers was named superintendent at the historic Oakmont Country Club. At each stop, Zimmers earned rave reviews.

Currently, he leads the grounds crew at the renowned Inverness Club and is one of the most highly respected men in his field. To me, Zimmers is the absolute embodiment of the American Dream – with hard-work and determination you still have the opportunity to reach the absolute heights of your profession.

Club champions

Congrats to the men and women who captured club championship crowns last weekend.

Among the winners so far: Quintin Dziabo and Lauren Michina at Summit Country Club and Todd Homan and Stephanie Kirsch at Park Hills. In addition, Cassidy Miksich took home the women’s title at Sinking Valley.

In other action last weekend, the Sinking Valley men’s championship completed its first 36 holes of play with Artie Fink Jr. holding a four-shot lead over Andrew Ferguson after rounds of 72 and 69.

The Iron Masters men are in a similar position with Wes Elder holding a commanding 15-shot margin over Spencer Hinish. Elder scored rounds of 66 and 69 over the first two days.

Both clubs will complete their men’s championships this weekend, completing 36 additional holes.

85 years ago

During the third week of August in 1938, Eldorado resident Glenn Jones set a new course record at Park Hills Golf Course.

During a qualifying round for the club championship, Jones scored eight birdies and one-putted 13 greens en route to his record score of 66.

Ken Love covers local golf for the Mirror. He can be reached at GLTR777@atlanticbb.net.