Tom Lehman emotional after likely playing in last Open

Tom Lehman bid an emotional farewell after likely playing in his last Open Championship

If that was to be the final round of Tom Lehman’s Open Championship career, it was a fitting goodbye. 

Lehman lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Lytham in 1996, and the former Open winner waved a tearful goodbye as he bowed out early of this year’s Championship. 

After walking up the final hole with his son by his side as his caddie, Lehman took a few tearful moments to take in the occasion. 

“There was emotion for sure,” Lehman said. “You don’t really know how you’re going to react to the last thing of something. And this one was very sweet and joyful. Tears of joy.

“It was more emotional than I thought it would be. It was more — I did everything in my power not to start bawling walking down the 18th fairway. I didn’t totally succeed but I mostly succeeded.”

Rounds of 78 and 76 left Lehman at 12-over-par and roughly 11 strokes over the projected cut line of +1, but it wasn’t until he reached the 16th that the reality and likliehood of his final Open appearance sunk in. 

“I really expected to play well this week. I’ve been playing pretty steadily back home. Hitting the ball extremely well and driving it great. So my whole thing this week was I think this is a good course for me. And of course I didn’t play that well.

“So yeah, it wasn’t until about the 16th hole that I started thinking about it. Okay, this is it.”

Of course, there is a chance he could play in the fourth major of the year once more, but he would have to win the Senior Open. If it was up to Lehman, he would manage it, and would finish his Open career in St. Andrews in two years time.

“I could still win a Senior Open. I told my wife if I could write the perfect script and play one more, I’d win next year so I could play St. Andrews.”

And if he doesn’t return as a player, Lehman is hopeful he can return the favour to his son of caddying for him in the future. 

“I just said to him how much I loved him,” Lehman said about what he told his son on the 18th. “There was nobody in the world I’d rather be walking down the fairway with right here than you. It means a lot to me you’re here by my side. This may be my last one, but maybe the next time I’ll be caddying for you.

“Hopefully that comes true.”

But just in case this is the end, Lehman didn’t depart Portrush without sharing his favourite memory of the major tournament that defined his career. 

“You know, my favourite memory is the year that I won,” Lehman said. “I had a policeman, a Lancashire police officer who was kind of like my security guy for the week.

“Back at the time I was ranked No. 2 in the world. I’m pretty certain his name was Kevin Boyles, I still have one of his hats and he has my Dockers hats. We switched hats after the thing was over. Everywhere I went the whole week, whether it be to the driving range or the Media Center, down the fairways, to the parking lot afterwards, he was there, he walked us, and he was the guy for us.

“So on 18, as you know back then you hit the second shot on the green and then the crowd runs forward. So there was 40 people deep who we had to kind of fight through. He kind of got in front of me, and he held me with one arm behind his back, and he just started kind of sweeping people out of the way, fighting through the crowd, and pulling me behind him. We got through, and there’s the 18th green, and there’s the golf ball sitting there.

“He puts his arm around me and he says, Aye, Tom, we’ve been through a lot of shit together, but now you’re on your own.

“I think of Open memories, that’s my favourite one.”