On the Course with Tom Lehman
An on course interview with PGA Pro Tom Lehman.
Pointers from a Pro: On the Course with Tom Lehman
By Joe Bardin
I’m not a golf ignoramus. I know a putter from a driver and on good days, I won’t confuse either with a wedge. I know Tiger Woods is bad (as in good), and that winning the green jacket at the Masters is good (as in good). But beyond that, the details can get a little murky.
To try to gain some insight on these questions and the world of golf in general, I met with the pro golfer Tom Lehman at DC Ranch Golf Club where he lives and practices. As he practiced one bright November morning, he patiently chatted with me about this strange game and his experiences playing it. Here’s what I learned:
Hard Work is Fun
. . . At least for this pro. As he warmed up at the driving range, Lehman told me:
“The more you practice the more fun golf is for me. The harder I work at it the more fun it is to play. There’s been times where my schedule has gotten so hectic that I don’t practice as much and then golf isn’t as fun, it’s like you get out of it what you put into it.”
As it turns out, Lehman has dedicated his off-season almost exclusively to revitalizing his game after disappointing performances over the past few years. This has meant practicing five days a week from 9:00 am to 3:00 PM, as well as several sessions with his coach Jim Flick.
Talent vs. Confidence on the Course
Having to bear down to improve his game is not new to Lehman. After playing golf in college at the University of Minnesota, Lehman turned pro in 1982. But by 1985 he had lost his tour card and was relegated to golf’s minor league, then called the Hogan Tour.
“I got my card in the first place because I had talent,” Lehman says, “but no confidence. The talent kind of carried me the first couple of years. After getting pounded for three years my confidence was completely shot. . . I would have been better off to have started low and worked my way up.”
Eventually, Lehman did work his way back into top tier form. He regained his confidence and his tour card, returning to the PGA in 1992. In 1996, Lehman won the British Open and was named PGA Tour Player of the Year.
It’s A Family Affair
During his days on the Hogan Tour, Lehman and his wife drove from one event to the next by car. In 1990, they had their first child, daughter Rachel, who apparently loved her car seat.
“She never complained,” Lehman said. However the next daughter was a different story. Lehman recalls:
“Our second daughter Holly had ants in her pants. She couldn’t sit in a car seat for more than thirty seconds without freaking out.”
Fortunately, by that time, Lehman was ready for the big time, and would be flying to golf tournaments rather than driving. Still, despite his success, Lehman hasn’t always been the most popular golfer in the household.
“When my son was younger,” Lehman said, “he’d be asked who’s you’re favorite golfer and he’d say ‘Tiger Woods’. That was when he was four. Now he’s old enough to know that hurts his Dad’s feelings . . . so he says it’s me.”
The Sting of Success
Having reached the pinnacle of his sport, Lehman learned that in golf as in life, success can have its pitfalls.
“It’s a very similar story with most people who get successful,” Lehman says. “The reason they get successful is because of their hard work and dedication, excitement and enthusiasm . . . once they reach the level they always wanted to achieve . . . life crowds in . . . things start to infringe upon all the things that made you successful.“
In Lehman’s case, it was a golf course design business that took up a lot of his time. He’s still in the business, but has reorganized so as to focus on fewer projects.
“The bottom line is I was so busy with that instead of practicing 4-5 hours it was maybe 1 hour every other day,” Lehman says.
The Home Field Advantage
Golf has its home field advantages just like any other sport. For Scottsdale-based golfers like Lehman, it’s called the Phoenix Open. In 2000, Lehman won it. Here’s how he remembers the crowd:
“Every putt I made they’d go crazy. On the last hole I made a putt to stay tied for the lead and the crowd went crazy. The guy behind me had a chance to win and he hit it over the green by about five feet. I was listening for the crowd because you’d be able to tell by how the crowd reacted. . . He missed this putt for par, which meant that I won and the crowd went crazy rrrrr! (Lehman does a breathy roar). . . The minute I heard the crowd yell I knew I just won a tournament.”
The Perils of Gum Flapping
In golf, strictly speaking, you’re playing against the course rather than the other golfers. No other player can actually stop you from making a good shot. Still, it’s a highly competitive endeavor. Lehman especially enjoys beating players who have an arrogant streak.
“You get a kick out of beating some guys,” Lehman says. “Let’s face it . . . you’re not best buddies with everyone. There are definitely rivalries and some personalities that irritate you, guys you like to beat more than others. Not everyone is a nice guy and some guys, they flap their gums a bit, if you get a chance to beat ‘em you enjoy it.”
A Flood of Passion
Golf seems to stimulate a unique fanaticism. It’s quieter than basketball, and better behaved than football. Still, the passion flows every bit as intensely. As an example, Lehman mentions his brother, a scratch golfer who can’t pass a mirror without checking out the mechanics of his swing in the reflection.
This reminds me of a golf-channel-watching friend of mine, who’s kept his living room bare so he could practice swinging his driver indoors. One night after a few too many beers, my friend came home, took up his driver and knocked a sprinkler head off the ceiling, activating the sprinkler system and flooding the entire downstairs.
Lehman nods, understandingly: “Golf consumes you,” he says, “it becomes a way of life.”
SIDEBAR: The Mechanics of Flag Pulling
It turns out golf is loaded with special symbols and odd behavior. For example, when someone is putting, it’s appropriate to pull the flag out of the cup once they’ve struck the ball. So on one green, as Lehman putts, it will be my job to remove the flag. Ok, simple enough.
I wait for Lehman to strike the ball then pull the flag pin out of the hole. Unfortunately, the flag won’t let go. I give a good yank and pull out the entire cup. Lehman’s putt hits the cup center but there’s no hole for it to fall into. No one told me you have to twist and then pull.