Thomas Edward Lehman (born March 7, 1959) is an American professional 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 Champions Tour.[1]
Amateur career
Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota, but Alexandria, Minnesota is credited as his official Minnesota hometown. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in Business/Accounting and turned professional in 1982.
Professional career
It took him 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 has enjoyed unbroken membership of the PGA Tour since 1992. 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 1996 Open Championship.[2][3] In April 1997 he spent a week at Number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. 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.
Lehman was captain of the defeated United States 2006 Ryder Cup team.
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.[4] 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.[1]
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 Chien Soon Lu. 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. They have four children. Lehman is a Christian.[5][6]
Professional wins (35)
PGA Tour wins (5)
| Legend |
| Major championships (1) |
| Other PGA Tour (4) |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–3)
European Tour wins (2)
| Legend |
| Major championships (1) |
| Other European Tour (1) |
Ben Hogan Tour wins (4)
Japan Golf Tour wins (1)
Other wins (12)
Champions Tour wins (9)
| Legend |
| Champions Tour major championships (3) |
| Other Champions Tour (6) |
| No. |
Date |
Tournament |
Winning score |
Margin of
victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|
| 1 |
Apr 26, 2009 |
Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
(with Bernhard Langer) |
−27 (61-66-62=189) |
Playoff |
 Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler |
| 2 |
May 30, 2010 |
Senior PGA ChampionshipA |
−7 (68-71-71-71=281) |
Playoff |
Fred Couples,  David Frost |
| 3 |
Feb 13, 2011 |
Allianz Championship |
−13 (65-69-69=203) |
1 stroke |
Jeff Sluman,  Rod Spittle |
| 4 |
Apr 3, 2011 |
Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic |
−16 (67-64-69=200) |
1 stroke |
David Frost,  Nick Price, Jeff Sluman |
| 5 |
May 8, 2011 |
Regions Tradition |
−13 (67-71-68-69=275) |
Playoff |
 Peter Senior |
| 6 |
Jun 10, 2012 |
Regions Tradition |
−14 (69-69-68-68=274) |
2 strokes |
 Bernhard Langer,  Chien Soon Lu |
| 7 |
Nov 4, 2012 |
Charles Schwab Cup Championship |
−22 (68-63-62-65=258) |
6 strokes |
Jay Haas |
| 8 |
Jun 22, 2014 |
Encompass Championship |
−15 (65-66-70=201) |
1 stroke |
Michael Allen, Kirk Triplett |
| 9 |
Oct 11, 2015 |
SAS Championship |
−12 (68-71-65=204) |
1 stroke |
Joe Durant |
A This win also counts as a European Seniors Tour victory because it is a co-sanctioned event.
Champions Tour playoff record (3–1)
European Seniors Tour wins (2)
| Legend |
| European Seniors Tour major championships (1) |
| Other European Seniors Tour (1) |
Major championships
Wins (1)
Results timeline
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Summary
- Most consecutive cuts made – 8 (1996 Masters – 1997 PGA)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1996 U.S. Open – 1996 Open Championship)
Results in World Golf Championship events
1Cancelled due to 9/11
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew from tournament
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No Tournament
Yellow background for top-10.
Senior major championships
Wins (3)
1Defeated Couples (6) and Frost (6), who shot 2-over par double bogey on the first sudden-death-playoff hole, and Lehman shot a (4) on the hole, which was even-par.
2Defeated Senior with a par on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.
Results timeline
Results are not in chronological order before 2014.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Awards
Lehman has won the following awards:
U.S. national team appearances
See also
References
- 1 2 "Lehman named Champions Tour Player of the Year". PGA Tour. December 14, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "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
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Player in bold denotes current number one
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- 1860 Willie Park, Sr.
- 1861 Tom Morris, Sr.
- 1862 Tom Morris, Sr.
- 1863 Willie Park, Sr.
- 1864 Tom Morris, Sr.
- 1865 Andrew Strath
- 1866 Willie Park, Sr.
- 1867 Tom Morris, Sr.
- 1868 Tom Morris, Jr.
- 1869 Tom Morris, Jr.
- 1870 Tom Morris, Jr.
- 1871 No championship
- 1872 Tom Morris, Jr.
- 1873 Tom Kidd
- 1874 Mungo Park
- 1875 Willie Park, Sr.
- 1876 Bob Martin†
- 1877 Jamie Anderson
- 1878 Jamie Anderson
- 1879 Jamie Anderson
- 1880 Bob Ferguson
- 1881 Bob Ferguson
- 1882 Bob Ferguson
- 1883 Willie Fernie†
- 1884 Jack Simpson
- 1885 Bob Martin
- 1886 David Brown
- 1887 Willie Park, Jr.
- 1888 Jack Burns
- 1889 Willie Park, Jr.†
- 1890 John Ball#
- 1891 Hugh Kirkaldy
- 1892 Harold Hilton#
- 1893 William Auchterlonie
- 1894 John Henry Taylor
- 1895 John Henry Taylor
- 1896 Harry Vardon†
- 1897 Harold Hilton#
- 1898 Harry Vardon
- 1899 Harry Vardon
- 1900 John Henry Taylor
- 1901 James Braid
- 1902 Sandy Herd
- 1903 Harry Vardon
- 1904 Jack White
- 1905 James Braid
- 1906 James Braid
- 1907 Arnaud Massy
- 1908 James Braid
- 1909 John Henry Taylor
- 1910 James Braid
- 1911 Harry Vardon†
- 1912‡ Edward Ray
- 1913 John Henry Taylor
- 1914 Harry Vardon
- 1915-19 No Championships due to World War I
- 1920 George Duncan
- 1921 Jock Hutchison†
- 1922 Walter Hagen
- 1923 Arthur Havers
- 1924 Walter Hagen
- 1925 Jim Barnes
- 1926 Bobby Jones#
- 1927‡ Bobby Jones#
- 1928 Walter Hagen
- 1929 Walter Hagen
- 1930 Bobby Jones#
- 1931 Tommy Armour
- 1932‡ Gene Sarazen
- 1933 Denny Shute†
- 1934‡ Henry Cotton
- 1935 Alf Perry
- 1936 Alf Padgham
- 1937 Henry Cotton
- 1938 Reg Whitcombe
- 1939 Dick Burton
- 1940-45 No Championships due to World War II
- 1946 Sam Snead
- 1947 Fred Daly
- 1948 Henry Cotton
- 1949 Bobby Locke†
- 1950 Bobby Locke
- 1951 Max Faulkner
- 1952 Bobby Locke
- 1953 Ben Hogan
- 1954 Peter Thomson
- 1955 Peter Thomson
- 1956 Peter Thomson
- 1957 Bobby Locke
- 1958 Peter Thomson†
- 1959 Gary Player
- 1960 Kel Nagle
- 1961 Arnold Palmer
- 1962 Arnold Palmer
- 1963 Bob Charles†
- 1964 Tony Lema
- 1965 Peter Thomson
- 1966 Jack Nicklaus
- 1967 Roberto De Vicenzo
- 1968 Gary Player
- 1969 Tony Jacklin
- 1970 Jack Nicklaus†
- 1971 Lee Trevino
- 1972 Lee Trevino
- 1973‡ Tom Weiskopf
- 1974 Gary Player
- 1975 Tom Watson†
- 1976 Johnny Miller
- 1977 Tom Watson
- 1978 Jack Nicklaus
- 1979 Seve Ballesteros
- 1980 Tom Watson
- 1981 Bill Rogers
- 1982 Tom Watson
- 1983 Tom Watson
- 1984 Seve Ballesteros
- 1985 Sandy Lyle
- 1986 Greg Norman
- 1987 Nick Faldo
- 1988 Seve Ballesteros
- 1989 Mark Calcavecchia†
- 1990 Nick Faldo
- 1991 Ian Baker-Finch
- 1992 Nick Faldo
- 1993 Greg Norman
- 1994 Nick Price
- 1995 John Daly†
- 1996 Tom Lehman
- 1997 Justin Leonard
- 1998 Mark O'Meara†
- 1999 Paul Lawrie†
- 2000 Tiger Woods
- 2001 David Duval
- 2002 Ernie Els†
- 2003 Ben Curtis
- 2004 Todd Hamilton†
- 2005‡ Tiger Woods
- 2006 Tiger Woods
- 2007 Pádraig Harrington†
- 2008 Pádraig Harrington
- 2009 Stewart Cink†
- 2010 Louis Oosthuizen
- 2011 Darren Clarke
- 2012 Ernie Els
- 2013 Phil Mickelson
- 2014‡ Rory McIlroy
- 2015 Zach Johnson†
| | † indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire in 72-holes; # indicates the event was won by an amateur |
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- PGA Players of the Year
- PGA Tour Players of the Year
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| | | † indicates won major sometime in their respective golfing careers |
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| | | † indicates the event was won in a playoff |
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| | | † indicates the event was won in a playoff |
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Ian Woosnam