Tom Lehman
Thomas Edward Lehman (born March 7, 1959) is an American professional golfer. A former number 1 ranked golfer, his tournament wins include one major title, the 1996 Open Championship; and he is the only golfer in history to have been awarded the Player of the Year honor on all three PGA Tours: the regular PGA Tour, the Web.com Tour and the PGA Tour Champions.[2]
Tom Lehman | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Lehman in 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
Full name | Thomas Edward Lehman | ||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Austin, Minnesota | March 7, 1959||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15.4 st) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Residence | Scottsdale, Arizona | ||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | Melissa Lehman | ||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 2 daughters, 2 sons | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career | |||||||||||||||||||||
College | Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||||||
Turned professional | 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions | ||||||||||||||||||||
Former tour(s) | PGA Tour | ||||||||||||||||||||
Professional wins | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Highest ranking | 1 (April 20, 1997)[1] (1 week) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Number of wins by tour | |||||||||||||||||||||
PGA Tour | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
European Tour | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Japan Golf Tour | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Korn Ferry Tour | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
PGA Tour Champions | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||
European Senior Tour | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Other | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Masters Tournament | 2nd: 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||
PGA Championship | T10: 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||
U.S. Open | T2: 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Open Championship | Won: 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Achievements and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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(For a full list of awards, see here) |
Amateur career
Born in Austin, Minnesota, and raised in Alexandria, Lehman played college golf at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis–Saint Paul,[3] graduated with a degree in business/accounting, and turned professional in 1982.[4]
Professional career
It took Lehman many years to become a leading tour professional. He played on the PGA Tour with little success from 1983 to 1985, and was then obliged to play elsewhere for the following six seasons. This included time in Asia and South Africa and on the second tier Ben Hogan Tour in the United States. He regained his PGA Tour card by topping the Ben Hogan Tour's 1991 money list, and enjoyed unbroken membership of the PGA Tour from 1992 until shortly after he joined the Champions Tour. He was named PGA Tour Player of the Year in 1996.
From 1995 to 1997 Lehman held the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open, but each time failed to win. During this period he won his only major championship to date, The Open Championship in 1996.[5][6] In April 1997, he was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for what would be only one week. He has won five times on the PGA Tour, but in addition to his Open win these wins have included the season-ending Tour Championship and Memorial Tournament, and he has won at least nineteen professional events in total.
Although Lehman did not win a lot of tournaments on the PGA Tour he was one of the most consistent players on tour with 19 runner-up finishes between 1992 and 2006.[7]
Unusually for a star American golfer, Lehman won almost as many regular tour events internationally as he did in the United States. His most well-known victory was at the 1996 Open Championship in England. He also won the 1993 Casio World Open on the Japan Golf Tour and the 1997 Gulfstream Loch Lomond World Invitational on the European Tour. He also recorded runner-up finishes at the 1989 South African Open[8] and the 2000 Scottish Open, the European Tour event he won three years previous.
Lehman was captain of the Ryder Cup team in 2006, which lost 18½ to 9½ to Europe at the K Club in Ireland.
In April 2009, Lehman became the 13th Champions Tour player to win his debut tournament. He teamed with Bernhard Langer to win the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in a playoff over Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler.[9] On May 30, 2010, Lehman won the Senior PGA Championship in a playoff over Fred Couples and David Frost for his first Champions Tour major championship. In 2011, Lehman topped the Champions Tour money list and was voted the Champions Tour Player of the Year. He is the first golfer to win "Player of the Year" honors on all three tours operated by the PGA Tour.[2]
In June 2012, Lehman defended his title at the Regions Tradition, to win his third senior major championship. He won by two strokes from Germany's Bernhard Langer and Taiwan's Lu Chien-soon. In his next major appearance at the Senior Players Championship, he finished runner-up, two strokes behind Joe Daley.
Personal
Lehman and his wife Melissa have lived for many years in Scottsdale, Arizona, and they have four children: two daughters and two sons. Lehman is a Christian.[10][11]
Professional wins (35)
PGA Tour wins (5)
Legend |
Major championships (1) |
Tour Championships (1) |
Other PGA Tour (3) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | May 22, 1994 | Memorial Tournament | 67-67-67-67=268 | −20 | 5 strokes | Greg Norman |
2 | May 28, 1995 | Colonial National Invitation | 67-68-68-68=271 | −9 | 1 stroke | Craig Parry |
3 | Jul 21, 1996 | The Open Championship | 67-67-64-73=271 | −13 | 2 strokes | Ernie Els, Mark McCumber |
4 | Oct 28, 1996 | The Tour Championship | 66-67-64-71=268 | −12 | 6 strokes | Brad Faxon |
5 | Jan 30, 2000 | Phoenix Open | 63-67-73-67=270 | −14 | 1 stroke | Robert Allenby, Rocco Mediate |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–3)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1997 | Mercedes Championships | Tiger Woods | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
2 | 1999 | Bay Hill Invitational | Tim Herron | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
3 | 2006 | The International | Dean Wilson | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
European Tour wins (2)
Legend |
Major championships (1) |
Other European Tour (1) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jul 21, 1996 | The Open Championship | 67-67-64-73=271 | −13 | 2 strokes | Ernie Els, Mark McCumber |
2 | Jul 12, 1997 | Gulfstream Loch Lomond World Invitational | 65-66-67-67=265 | −19 | 4 strokes | Ernie Els |
Japan Golf Tour wins (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nov 28, 1993 | Casio World Open | 69-69-67-69=274 | −14 | 1 stroke | Phil Mickelson |
Ben Hogan Tour wins (4)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aug 26, 1990 | Ben Hogan Reflection Ridge | 66-69-67=202 | −14 | 1 stroke | Greg Whisman |
2 | Mar 17, 1991 | Ben Hogan Gulf Coast Classic | 66-71=137* | −7 | Playoff | Tim Straub, John Wilson |
3 | May 5, 1991 | Ben Hogan South Carolina Classic | 67-66-69=202 | −14 | Playoff | Ray Pearce |
4 | Oct 13, 1991 | Ben Hogan Santa Rosa Open | 69-67-71=207 | −9 | 1 stroke | Mike Foster, Brad Greer, Webb Heintzelman, Jeff Woodland |
*Note: The 1991 Ben Hogan Gulf Coast Classic was shortened to 36 holes due to rain.
Ben Hogan Tour playoff record (2–2)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1991 | Ben Hogan Gulf Coast Classic | Tim Straub, John Wilson | Won with par on eighth extra hole Straub eliminated with par on first hole |
2 | 1991 | Ben Hogan South Carolina Classic | Ray Pearce | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
3 | 1991 | Ben Hogan Tulsa Open | Frank Conner | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
4 | 1991 | Ben Hogan Reno Open | Rob Boldt, John Flannery, Esteban Toledo |
Flannery won with birdie on fourth extra hole Boldt and Lehman eliminated with birdie on first hole |
Tour de las Américas wins (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dec 6, 2009 | Argentine Masters | 71-66-67-70=274 | −10 | 5 strokes | Miguel Ángel Carballo, Daniel Vancsik |
Other wins (10)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jul 20, 1986 | Waterloo Open Golf Classic | 63-67=130 | −14 | 2 strokes | John Benda |
2 | 1989 | Minnesota State Open | ||||
3 | 1990 | Minnesota State Open (2) | ||||
4 | Dec 10, 1995 | Diners Club Matches (with Duffy Waldorf) |
1 up | John Huston and Kenny Perry | ||
5 | Nov 15, 1996 | MasterCard PGA Grand Slam of Golf | 68-66=134 | −10 | 2 strokes | Steve Jones |
6 | Dec 15, 1996 | Diners Club Matches (2) (with Duffy Waldorf) |
2 & 1 | Scott Hoch and Kenny Perry | ||
7 | Nov 30, 1997 | Skins Game | $300,000 | $60,000 | Mark O'Meara | |
8 | Nov 22, 1998 | Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational | 66-70-69-68=273 | −15 | 2 strokes | Rocco Mediate, Kirk Triplett |
9 | Jan 2, 2000 | Williams World Challenge | 68-65-67-67=267 | −13 | 3 strokes | David Duval |
10 | Dec 17, 2000 | Hyundai Team Matches (3) (with Duffy Waldorf) |
20 holes | Mark Calcavecchia and Fred Couples |
PGA Tour Champions wins (12)
Legend |
PGA Tour Champions major championships (3) |
Other PGA Tour Champions (9) |
PGA Tour Champions playoff record (3–2)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2009 | Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Bernhard Langer) |
Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler | Won with par on second extra hole |
2 | 2010 | Senior PGA Championship | Fred Couples, David Frost | Won with par on first extra hole |
3 | 2011 | Regions Tradition | Peter Senior | Won with par on second extra hole |
4 | 2015 | Insperity Invitational | Kenny Perry, Ian Woosnam | Woosnam won with birdie on first extra hole |
5 | 2018 | Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf (with Bernhard Langer) |
Paul Broadhurst and Kirk Triplett | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
European Senior Tour wins (2)
Legend |
Senior major championships (1) |
Other European Senior Tour (1) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | May 30, 2010 | Senior PGA Championship | 68-71-71-71=281 | −7 | Playoff | Fred Couples, David Frost |
2 | Dec 11, 2011 | MCB Tour Championship | 65-68-71=204 | −12 | 1 stroke | David Frost |
European Senior Tour playoff record (1–0)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2010 | Senior PGA Championship | Fred Couples, David Frost | Won with par on first extra hole |
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | The Open Championship | 6 shot lead | −13 (67-67-64-73=271) | 2 strokes | Ernie Els, Mark McCumber |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | ||||
U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | ||
The Open Championship | ||||
PGA Championship |
Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T3 | 2 | 40 | T18 | T12 | CUT | T31 | |||
U.S. Open | CUT | T6 | T19 | T33 | 3 | T2 | 3 | T5 | T28 | |
The Open Championship | T59 | T24 | 1 | T24 | CUT | CUT | ||||
PGA Championship | CUT | T39 | CUT | T14 | T10 | T29 | T34 |
Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 6 | T18 | CUT | CUT | T13 | CUT | ||||
U.S. Open | T23 | T24 | T45 | CUT | CUT | T47 | ||||
The Open Championship | T4 | CUT | CUT | T46 | CUT | T23 | CUT | T51 | T32 | T60 |
PGA Championship | WD | CUT | T29 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T69 | T42 | T60 |
Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | |||||||||
U.S. Open | CUT | ||||||||
The Open Championship | T14 | T22 | CUT | T58 | CUT | CUT | CUT | ||
PGA Championship | T55 |
Tournament | 2019 |
---|---|
Masters Tournament | |
PGA Championship | |
U.S. Open | |
The Open Championship | CUT |
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 9 |
PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 10 |
U.S. Open | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 12 |
The Open Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 24 | 13 |
Totals | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 24 | 72 | 44 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 8 (1996 Masters – 1997 PGA)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1996 U.S. Open – 1996 Open Championship)
Results in The Players Championship
Tournament | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Players Championship | T13 | T11 | CUT | T14 | T8 | 6 | T2 | CUT | 8 | T12 | T28 | T39 | CUT | T2 | T27 | T23 | T6 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Results in World Golf Championships
Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Match Play | R64 | R32 | R16 | QF | R64 | R32 | 4 | |
Championship | T25 | NT1 | T39 | 61 | ||||
Invitational | T15 | T31 | T38 | T41 | T42 |
1Cancelled due to 9/11
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament
Senior major championships
Wins (3)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Senior PGA Championship | Tied for the lead | −7 (68-71-71-71=281) | Playoff1 | Fred Couples, David Frost |
2011 | Regions Tradition | 2 shot deficit | −13 (67-71-68-69=275) | Playoff2 | Peter Senior |
2012 | Regions Tradition | 2 shot lead | −14 (69-69-68-68=274) | 2 strokes | Bernhard Langer, Lu Chien-soon |
1Defeated Couples and Frost with a par on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff.
2Defeated Senior with a par on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.
Results timeline
Results not in chronological order before 2017.
Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Tradition | T8 | T4 | 1 | 1 | T22 | T3 | T5 | T35 | T6 | T27 | T16 | NT |
Senior PGA Championship | T22 | 1 | T22 | T29 | T48 | T26 | T16 | T15 | CUT | T28 | NT | |
U.S. Senior Open | T8 | T12 | T23 | T2 | T9 | T24 | T23 | T11 | T4 | CUT | T11 | NT |
Senior Players Championship | 4 | 2 | T16 | T20 | T20 | T25 | T18 | T43 | T11 | T43 | ||
Senior British Open Championship | T58 | T11 | T21 | T10 | T26 | T22 | T14 | T23 | T6 | T36 | NT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Awards
Lehman has won the following awards:
- 1991
- 1996
- 2010
- 2011
- Arnold Palmer Award (Champions Tour leading money winner)
- Jack Nicklaus Trophy (Champions Tour Player of the Year)
- Charles Schwab Cup (Champions Tour)
- 2012
- Jack Nicklaus Trophy (Champions Tour Player of the Year)
- Charles Schwab Cup (Champions Tour)
U.S. national team appearances
- Ryder Cup: 1995, 1997, 1999 (winners), 2006 (non-playing captain)
- Presidents Cup: 1994 (winners), 1996 (winners), 2000 (winners)
- World Cup: 1996
- Alfred Dunhill Cup: 1999, 2000
- UBS Warburg Cup: 2002 (winners)
- Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (representing PGA Tour): 1997 (winners), 1999, 2012 (ChampionsTour)
See also
References
- "Week 16 1997 Ending 20 Apr 1997" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- "Lehman named Champions Tour Player of the Year". PGA Tour. December 14, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
- Orrick, Dave (October 2, 2016). "Tom Lehman on Minnesota's Ryder Cup: 'I'm just proud'". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- Murphy, Brian (2017). 100 Things Minnesota Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Triumph Books. ISBN 9781633198722. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- Lehman, Tom (2005). A Passion for the Game. Bronze Bow Publishing. ISBN 978-1-932458-35-0.
- "Tom Lehman Life Story". The Life Story Foundation. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- "Tom Lehman". PGA Tour. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
- "Tom Lehman − 1989". OWGR. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
- "Lehman-Langer team wins Legends of Golf in playoff". PGA Tour. Associated Press. April 26, 2009. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
- "America's Republican guard". Irish Times. September 15, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- Darden, Robert; Richardson, P. J. (1996). The Way of an Eagle. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-0785277019.
External links
- Tom Lehman at the PGA Tour official site
- Tom Lehman at the European Tour official site
- Tom Lehman at the Japan Golf Tour official site
- Tom Lehman at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
- Article from thesandtrap.com