Such was the assertion made by Michael Kim, the 2018 John Deere Classic champion, in a tweet on Thursday afternoon. This sentiment, a notion that would have been deemed quite audacious a mere month ago, gains significance considering that Glover, the victor of the 2009 U.S. Open, commenced his play in last week’s Wyndham Championship holding the 64th position in the Ryder Cup standings.
Yet, a shift occurred when Glover emerged triumphant at the Wyndham Championship, securing his first Tour victory since 2021. This achievement propelled him to 35th in the rankings as he approached the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis. Furthermore, the 43-year-old golfer impressively carded a 6-under 64 on Friday, vaulting him into the sole lead at 10-under entering the third round on Saturday.
Adding to the momentum is a sequence of consecutive top-10 placements throughout July for the golfer hailing from South Carolina. This scorching run of form has initiated discussions, however modest, regarding Glover’s somewhat unexpected potential to secure a spot on his inaugural Ryder Cup team. The elite event against the European counterparts will witness the participation of the leading six players from the Ryder Cup standings, accompanied by an additional six selections by team captain Zach Johnson. The highly anticipated Ryder Cup is scheduled to commence on September 29th in Rome.
“Ah, that’s great,” Glover remarked. “It’s truly kind of him to express that.”
Glover’s reply perfectly captures his demeanor ever since his exceptional streak commenced, initially marked by his fourth-place tie at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit last month. This series of accomplishments stands as a refreshing shift from the period that came before it. In fact, his prior stretch saw his last top-10 finish in 2022, occurring in Memphis where he secured a third-place tie at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The shift in dynamics is so pronounced that Glover finds it challenging to recall a time when he sustained such consistently remarkable play. Yet, armed with his veteran wisdom, he remains cautious, avoiding becoming entangled in overanalyzing distant prospects, and instead focusing on the immediate task at hand.
“I’ve reached an age where I understand that fortunes can shift swiftly in the opposite direction as well,” he shared. “Hence, I’m embracing the current momentum, avoiding excessive analysis. I’ll continue to ride this wave, playing until it runs its course, and then assess matters thereafter.”
Building upon this, after completing Friday’s round, Glover was inquired whether he perceives any vulnerabilities in his game at this juncture.
“Not at the moment,” Glover replied with a hint of reluctance. “I would need to contemplate that, but currently, my performance has been rather solid. Although I struggled with reading the greens yesterday and my pace was a bit off today, so I suppose that could be considered a weakness.”
