Lucas Glover

Early in his career, Glover was a model of consistency as he finished inside the top-50 at year's end in four of his first five seasons. A terrible season in 2012 set him down a different path however and he's struggled to find that consistency ever since. Surprisingly, he's played some of his best golf as he's entered his 40s. Glover doesn't appear to be slowing down that much, so a rapid drop in production is probably not in the cards, but a positive jump in his numbers is also not very likely either as Glover will turn 43 this season.

Prior to 2020-21, Glover's last win on the PGA Tour was in 2011. In the decade that followed, his results were all over the place. He did not win during that span, but he had seasons with more than $2 million and seasons with about $500k. He seems to have found some consistency the last two non-COVID seasons and should stay near the level he was at last year. That said, a significant increase in earnings does not appear to be in the cards.

Glover had the best season of his career in 2018-19, posting 16 top-20s on his way to the Tour Championship. The early part of the season was a huge disappointment, with just one top-25 in his first 12 starts. He then reeled off four straight top-25s to get him inside the playoff cut line, but Glover ultimately ended with disappointment. The difference this past season was the putter and short game. If that improves, his ball striking is still good enough to be competitive every week.

Entering this past season, Glover had failed to crack $1 million in earnings in six of his seven previous seasons. It wasn't outrageous to think that maybe his best days were behind him, but then he went out and posted his second-highest earnings number in his 16-year career on the PGA Tour. Glover failed to record any high-end finishes this past season, but he did post seven top-10s and 16 top-25s. While it was a great season, the odds of Glover duplicating that production this season seem slim. Glover will need more high-end finishes this season to significantly improve on his numbers from last season, but he's only posted just one top-3 finish in the past eight seasons.

Glover played just 18 events and none since the U.S. Open as he has dealt with his wife's domestic violence charge during THE PLAYERS Championship. As such, Glover notched just one top-10 at the CIMB Classic. He's back to playing and was able to regain his card via the Web.com Tour Finals, but even with a full schedule, don't expect anything outstanding from the three-time PGA Tour winner as his U.S. Open exemption from his 2009 victory ends after 2019.

Glover's 2016-17 was fairly unspectacular for a guy who nearly cracked the $2 million barrier. Glover recorded two top-5s, but both came during the 2016 portion of the season, which is rarely a good thing. As for 2017, Glover managed only two top-10s and that doesn't bode well for this prospects this season. Considering Glover more than doubled his 2015-16 earnings last season, he's not a good candidate in salary cap leagues this season.

Glover has three wins on the PGA Tour, including one major, but his game over the past five years has really regressed. Three of those five years, Glover has been at or under $515k each season. The two seasons he was above that number, he still failed to reach $1 million in earnings. Glover peaked in 2009 when he earned nearly $3.7 million, but he's not the same player anymore. With that in mind, he's not a good salary cap option this season. In drafts, he'll go late, after the 10th-round.

Glover’s exemption from winning the 2009 U.S. Open expired after last season, and even though it's been a rough go over the past few years, he still has the talent to be a factor on the PGA Tour. As such, he should be given heavy consideration in salary cap leagues this year as his price holds very little risk.

Believe it or not, Glover is a major champion. After the way he's played the past few years, it's hard to believe that this guy was once one of the best bets to ascend to the top of the PGA Tour. Glover's game fell off a couple years ago and although it could return at any given point, the signs are there right now. Glover has a little value in salary cap leagues -- if you think he's going to bounce back, but for the rest of us, there are better places to spend the money. Glover should go in the 90-100 range in drafts.

Glover spent all last season dealing with a bum knee and it showed in his results. Glover could play on a medical extension this season, but he doesn't need it. He's still exempt from his win at the 2009 U.S. Open. As long as Glover is healthy this season, he should have no problem surpassing $1 million in earnings, which makes him a must-have in salary cap formats. In draft leagues, he should probably go somewhere near round six.

In his two full seasons since his 2009 U.S. Open win, Glover hasn't accomplished much. Only four Top-10s in 46 starts and only two Top-3s. Fortunately for Glover, one of those Top-3 finishes was a win last year at the Wells Fargo Championship. Glover finished 2011 in style with five consecutive starts inside the Top 37. Hey, it's not much, but considering his track record the last two seasons, it could be a sign that he's on his way back up.

Glover failed to capitalize on the momentum from his 2009 U.S. Open victory last year as he fell to 57th on the 2010 money list. Glover had his work cut out for him last season in trying to match his 2009 numbers, because, quite frankly, 2009 was a career year. After such a productive season, we were left wondering how high his ceiling was. Now we are left to wonder who the real Lucas Glover is. He's not an upper-echelon player who will contend at every major, but he's good enough to make a run every couple years. Glover is long off the tee and about average on the other core statistical categories.

Glover has been all over the standings the last five seasons. He's made as much as $3.6 million (in 2009) and as little as $900K (in 2008). Last year was pivotal for Glover, though, as he not only broke a two-year decline in earnings but came out of nowhere to grab his first major at the U.S. Open. Perhaps even more impressive than Glover's Open victory was his ability to maintain his level of play following that win. Glover was never complacent despite the career-changing victory and continued to play well through the end of the season. The question for 2010 is whether he's truly turned the corner, or if his success last season was due to one extraordinarily long run. The answer likely lies somewhere in the middle, so don't be surprised if Glover's 2010 production dips a little from last season. He gained 157 spots in the Official World Golf Rankings coming from 177th at the end of 2008, to a solid 20th in the final 2009 rankings.

Glover's earnings have dropped for three consecutive years. He may not be the player that earned over $2.5 million in 2006, but he should improve. Glover is worth the gamble this year.

Depending on how you look at it, Glover is either a great player to have on your team, or a very frustrating player to have on your team. He racks up the top-10s like there's no tomorrow, yet he rarely wins or even sneaks into the top-3. If you like playing the odds, then he's your man. He's going to be in the hunt quite often, its just a matter of whether or not he can close. At the very worst, he's going to get you a lot of top-10s.

Glover is a good example of a player who played well in 2006 and might be coming into his prime. Glover had his breakthrough season in 2005 when he earned a little more than $2 million and backed it up last year by topping those numbers. Looks like the sky is the limit for Glover. Glover was in the hunt often in 2006 but never finished better than third. He earned $2.5 million and never cracked the top three. Glover has already won on tour so we know that's not a problem. Expect to see Glover in the winners circle at some point in 2007.

Second-year player really improved on his rookie year by earning more than three times the amount made in 2004. I like his top-10 percentage, seven out of 28, but don’t like the missed cuts. He missed 12 cuts, nearly half of his starts. That could be a product of being a young player. While he didn't make all of his money during the fall season, he sure made a big chunk, which is not a good sign. Then again, it takes younger players some time to be competitive during the heart of the season. He competed during a few events in the Spring, which offers hope. The late-season win, however, might have priced him too high. He will have to play well to get back to the $2 million he earned last year.