Tom Lehman
A steady force in golf who reached world number one and captured the Open Championship, achieving a unique triple crown of Player of the Year honors across three tours.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American professional golfer·Birthday: March 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Tom Lehman's path to the pinnacle of golf was a testament to perseverance. He struggled for years, playing on tours across the globe before finding his footing on the developmental Ben Hogan Tour, where his success restored his confidence. That grit defined his career. In the mid-1990s, he emerged as one of the game's most consistent players, his steady ball-striking and calm demeanor leading him to the top of the world rankings. His crowning achievement came at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 1996, where he held off a charging field to win the Open Championship, claiming his only major title. Lehman's career is marked by a rare completeness; he is the only golfer to ever be named Player of the Year on the PGA Tour, the developmental tour (now Korn Ferry), and the PGA Tour Champions, proving his excellence across every stage of professional golf.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Tom was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tom Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Tom's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 1996 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
- Became the only golfer to win Player of the Year awards on the PGA Tour, the Ben Hogan Tour (developmental), and the PGA Tour Champions.
- Reached the world No. 1 ranking in 1997.
- Captained the victorious United States Ryder Cup team in 2006.
Did You Know?
He played collegiate golf at the University of Minnesota.
Before his golf breakthrough, he worked as a substitute teacher and a nightclub bouncer.
He designed the TPC Twin Cities course in Minnesota, which hosts a PGA Tour Champions event.
He is known for his deep Christian faith and involvement in charitable work.
“The greatest thing about golf is you don't know what's going to happen. You can have your best day and your worst day all in one round.”
