Lucas Glover left the PGA Tour in a huff last season but said lessons learned off the course had helped him capture his first major at the US Open on Monday.

A former All-America college player at Clemson University, Glover said he was slow to realise his potential because he was quick to get down on himself when things went wrong.

After claiming a two-shot victory over world number two Phil Mickelson, former world number one David Duval and US Tour rookie Ricky Barnes, Glover said taking time off at the end of last season made the difference.

"It was the best thing career wise I've ever done," the 29-year-old said about shutting down his season in early September.

"I hung them up after St Louis. I knew I had my card for this year, knew I had a job.

"I was not playing well enough to keep playing and feel like I could be happy on the golf course. I was taking it home, and I wasn't myself."

Glover, whose lone Tour victory had come in the 2005 Disney Classic, said his appetite for the game slowly returned.

"That was the point of it. Figure out why I got the way I got. And I did. I was too hard on myself. Just had a bad attitude when it wasn't going right."

Following his triumph at Bethpage Black, Glover, who had missed the cut in his three previous Opens, showed emotion only when asked about old coach Dick Harmon, who died three years ago.

"I think about him everyday," said Glover, who shared one bit of advice from Harmon that echoed in his mind this week.

"He always told me I was good enough," he said.