Introduction
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.
Amateur career
Born in Austin, Minnesota, and raised in Alexandria, Lehman played college golf at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, graduated with a degree in business/accounting, and turned professional in 1982.
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. 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.
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 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. 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.
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.
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 |
Ben Hogan Tour wins (4)
- 1990 Ben Hogan Reflection Ridge
- 1991 Ben Hogan Gulf Coast Classic, Ben Hogan South Carolina Classic, Ben Hogan Santa Rosa Open
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 |
Other wins (11)
- 1986 Waterloo Open Golf Classic
- 1989 Minnesota State Open
- 1990 Minnesota State Open
- 1995 Diners Club Matches (with Duffy Waldorf)
- 1996 Diners Club Matches (with Duffy Waldorf), PGA Grand Slam of Golf
- 1997 Skins Game
- 1998 Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational
- 2000 Williams World Challenge* (January)
- 2000 Hyundai Team Matches (with Duffy Waldorf)
- 2009 Argentine Masters
* This event was staged twice in 2000 once in January and the other in December.
PGA Tour Champions wins (12)
| Legend |
| Senior major championships (3) |
| Other PGA Tour Champions (9) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 26, 2009 | Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Bernhard Langer) |
61-66-62=189 | −27 | Playoff | Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler |
| 2 | May 30, 2010 | Senior PGA Championship | 68-71-71-71=281 | −7 | Playoff | Fred Couples, David Frost |
| 3 | Feb 13, 2011 | Allianz Championship | 65-69-69=203 | −13 | 1 stroke | Jeff Sluman, Rod Spittle |
| 4 | Apr 3, 2011 | Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic | 67-64-69=200 | −16 | 1 stroke | David Frost, Nick Price, Jeff Sluman |
| 5 | May 8, 2011 | Regions Tradition | 67-71-68-69=275 | −13 | Playoff | Peter Senior |
| 6 | Jun 10, 2012 | Regions Tradition | 69-69-68-68=274 | −14 | 2 strokes | Bernhard Langer, Lu Chien-soon |
| 7 | Nov 4, 2012 | Charles Schwab Cup Championship | 68-63-62-65=258 | −22 | 6 strokes | Jay Haas |
| 8 | Jun 22, 2014 | Encompass Championship | 65-66-70=201 | −15 | 1 stroke | Michael Allen, Kirk Triplett |
| 9 | Oct 11, 2015 | SAS Championship | 68-71-65=204 | −12 | 1 stroke | Joe Durant |
| 10 | Mar 19, 2017 | Tucson Conquistadores Classic | 66-67-66=199 | −20 | 1 stroke | Steve Stricker |
| 11 | Jun 10, 2018 | Principal Charity Classic | 66-65=131 | −13 | 2 strokes | Woody Austin, Glen Day Bernhard Langer, Scott Parel |
| 12 | Jan 19, 2019 | Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai | 69-65-65=199 | −17 | 1 stroke | David Toms |
This win also counts as a European Senior Tour victory because it is a co-sanctioned event.
Champions Tour playoff record (3–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009 | Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Bernhard Langer) |
Jeff Sluman & 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, Kirk Triplett | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
European Senior Tour wins (2)
| Legend |
| European Senior Tour 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 |
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 Championship events
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship | R64 | R32 | R16 | QF | R64 | R32 | 4 | |
| CA Championship | T25 | NT | T39 | 61 | ||||
| Bridgestone Invitational | T15 | T31 | T38 | T41 | T42 |
Cancelled 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) | Playoff | Fred Couples, David Frost |
| 2011 | Regions Tradition | 2 shot deficit | −13 (67-71-68-69=275) | Playoff | Peter Senior |
| 2012 | Regions Tradition | 2 shot lead | −14 (69-69-68-68=274) | 2 strokes | Bernhard Langer, Lu Chien-soon |
Defeated 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.
Defeated Senior with a par on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.
Results timeline
Results are not in chronological order before 2017.
| Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | T8 | T4 | 1 | 1 | T22 | T3 | T5 | T35 | T6 | T27 | T16 |
| Senior PGA Championship | T22 | 1 | T22 | T29 | T48 | T26 | T16 | T15 | CUT | T28 | |
| U.S. Senior Open | T8 | T12 | T23 | T2 | T9 | T24 | T23 | T11 | T4 | CUT | T11 |
| Senior Players Championship | 4 | 2 | T16 | T20 | T20 | T25 | T18 | T43 | T11 | ||
| Senior British Open Championship | T58 | T11 | T21 | T10 | T26 | T22 | T14 | T23 | T6 | T36 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Awards
Lehman has won the following awards:
- 1991
- Ben Hogan Tour leading money winner
- Ben Hogan Tour Player of the Year
- 1996
- PGA Player of the Year
- PGA Tour Player of the Year
- Vardon Trophy
- Byron Nelson Award
- PGA Tour leading money winner
- 2010
- Payne Stewart Award
- 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)