Q&A ALL SEASONS A MAN FOR
SCOTTSDALE’S TOM LEHMAN PUTS HIS FAITH AND FAMILY FIRST, AND WHEN IT COMES TO HIS GOLF GAME, IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
BY JOHN DAVIS ~ PHOTOS BY SANDRA TENUTO
OOKING AT ALL THAT HE has accomplished, it might seem hard to believe that Tom Lehman toiled for eight years on mini- and developmental tours before securing his place on the PGA Tour.
Once he did, he made the most
of the opportunity, at one point becoming the top-ranked player in the world. He is the only golfer to be named Player of the Year on the PGA, Champions and
Buy.com (then called Hogan) tours, and his numerous accomplishments are impressive. His 34 worldwide titles include
five on the PGA Tour, highlighted by a British Open championship, and three majors on the Champions Tour. He had several close calls in other majors, including three consecutive years of leading the U.S. Open after 54 holes. Lehman also has been a stalwart
in team competition, playing three times each in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup and was captain of the 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team. The Scottsdale resident has earned
equal respect and numerous awards for his actions off the golf course, including the Charles Bartlett Award for his unselfish contributions and the Payne Stewart Award, given in honor of dedication to good causes and the traditions of golf. He talks openly about the importance of his Christian faith, is involved
22 | AZ GOLF Insider | ANNUAL 2014
with many charities and stages an annual tournament in support of the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. He and his wife, Melissa, have four
children: Rachel and Holly, both of whom attended Texas Christian University and now have successful careers; Thomas, who currently attends TCU after graduating from Notre Dame Prep, where he was an outstanding high school quarterback; and 11-year-old Sean. After completing his fifth season
on the Champions Tour in November, Lehman talked with AZ Golf Insider about his career, achievements, family life, faith, the Ryder Cup and the majors that got away.
You won one event this year but also had some struggles in the second half of the season. How would you summarize the year? In a nutshell, I struggled with my putting the entire year. I had some amazing weeks tee to green where I finished 20th or 30th, where you look back and say, “How can you hit it that well and finish that poorly?” I went through a period where I just didn’t make anything for weeks. Toward the end of the year, I went to a different style of heel-shafted putter to regain the feeling of how I used to putt. Over the last month, I saw some big improvement so I’m excited about that.
What has the Champions Tour experience been like? It has been a blessing, for sure, in a lot of ways. The best way I can summarize
it is to say the Champions Tour has way more of a family feel. It’s the feel of a group of guys who get along and enjoy playing together. We work hard, we’re still competitive, still want to win, but at the end of the day, you feel like it’s a group of guys who really care about you. On a relational level, it’s a great atmosphere. The Champions Tour combines the best of all worlds.
Family has always been a high priority with you, but have you been even more focused on that the past couple years? Absolutely, especially last year when Thomas was playing football and baseball and other activities. I basically refused to miss that part of his life, so I missed playing in events because I wanted to be there for him. Now Sean is becoming involved in those activities and I don’t want to miss that either. There has been a lot more scheduling around home things versus scheduling home things around golf tournaments.
Was it more nerve-racking to watch Thomas play quarterback than playing for a golf title? Yeah, it was tough. I was a nervous wreck. In golf, I can get nervous, but I know I have the ability to do what I need to do. I have that confidence. With him playing football, I have no ability to influence or control what happens on the field. I did have a lot of confidence in him, and there are things I know about my son that made it easier. He always had a calm demeanor and a competitive spirit and ability to perform under pressure. I just didn’t have the control.
You were a quarterback on a state championship team. Did he get his football genes from you? Probably from my dad (a running back who played briefly for the Baltimore Colts). He had colleges who looked at his film and saw a lot of upside. I really think his best football years are still ahead of him if he wants to pursue it, but he doesn’t, which I respect completely.
You also skipped the British Open this year so you could take a family vacation. Was that a difficult decision? The way the Champions Tour schedule is put together, the summer becomes insane if you add the British Open into
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