2021 KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Lehman
Lehman. When Oral Roberts had its dominating golf teams in 1980 and 1981 under coach Bill Brogden, famously with four by ken macleod stars in Bill Glasson, Joey Rassett, Jim Kane and Bryan Norton, Lehman toyed with the idea of transferring from Minnesota to be the fifth starter. “The idea of it was alluring,” Lehman said. “I was thinking I would like to go somewhere and om Lehman’s place in the to be a great putter to go low as he gave play more year round. I was following all storied history of magnifi- himself numerous easy birdie opportunities the results and knew that ORU could use a fifth man. My junior and senior years would cent events at Southern Hills each round. “Starting in about 1993, my game was have been the two where they had that reCountry Club is secure. He came to Tulsa for the season-ending really rising,” Lehman said. “From the mid- ally powerful team.” Getting a full ride at Minnesota and getTour Championship in 1996 as one of the 1990s into the early 2000s I drove the ball I hit my irons phenomenally ting to play every event, Lehman eventuworld’s best players and cemented that great. well and gave myself so ally decided to stay put. That didn’t stop with a command four-round routing of the many chances that him from teasing Brogden when he spoke elite 30-man field. Having already won the when I was put- at a church in Tulsa during the 1996 event. Open Championship and finished second “The first thing he did was remind everyting well, I could not in the U.S. Open Championship for the body that I blew a chance to win two naa lot.” second consecutive year, Lehman’s star only win but win by tional championships,” said Brogden, who After a rain-delayed fiwas definitely on the rise. was sitting in the front row that morning. nal round 71, LehmYes, there “I don’t know how close it actually an finished at 12-under was this came to happening but we did 268, a stroke better than 19-year-old talk,” Brogden said. “I don’t Nick Price’s dominating pernamed Tiknow what to say other formance in the 1994 ger Woods than I screwed up. PGA Championin the field, Tom was a ship. He won by six someone who strokes over Faxon. was about to He had the lowchange everyest stroke average one’s expectaon Tour, won the tions for future money title and was success. In that Player of the Year. moment, howIt could have easever, Lehman ily been Lehman’s seemed invinsecond victory in cible. His thirdthe Tulsa area. In round 6-under 1991, as a little64, keyed by known pro from four consecuMinnesota, he tive birdies to Give me some room, Vijay! nearly won the Ben begin the back nine, left him nine shots clear of Vijay Singh Hogan Tulsa Open at The Golf and Brad Faxon with the rest of the field a Club of Oklahoma, losing in a two-hole playoff to Frank Conblur in the rear-view mirror. Using his powerful draw, Lehman’s driv- ner. Winning in Tulsa also could ing was accurate and long and his iron play was so precise at that time he didn’t need have been a homecoming for
looks to rekindle magic at Southern Hills
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Tom Lehman at the 76th Senior PGA Championship at French Lick Springs Resort in 2015. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/The PGA of America)
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