A glance at the field for the 3M Open could leave some doing a double take as a name from the past leaps out.
However, rather than former World No.1 Tom Lehman taking his place in the line-up at TPC Twin Cities, it’s his son Thomas who will be making his PGA Tour debut at the course on a sponsor exemption.
During preparations for surely the biggest tournament of his short career, Lehman Jr, who turned pro in 2020 and mainly plays on the Dakotas Tour, explained how the opportunity came about. He said: “I wrote an email to the director of the tournament and didn't hear back for a while.
“I know my dad, me and my dad were very involved in the process of trying to get a sponsor exemption, and I was in the middle of playing a practice round in a different tournament about two weeks ago when my dad called me and told me I got in, so I was very excited to hear that news.”
The tournament will be a fitting occasion for Lehman to make his PGA Tour bow as his dad had a hand in renovations to the course. However, perhaps surprisingly, he revealed he’s a newcomer to playing it.
He said: “Actually this week is my first time playing. I've been out here just watching my dad play when it used to be a Champions Tour event so I've been out here quite a few times, I've never actually played. Love the course.”
Nevertheless, Lehman has played in plenty of tournaments leading up to the big occasion this week. For example, he won the 2016 Northern Am and also played in the 2018 US Amateur at Pebble Beach, but missed the cut before graduating from Cal Poly in 2019 and turning pro the following year. He’s banking on his playing experience to settle his nerves.
He said: “I've played a million tournaments now and I've been playing pro for a while and I've been playing pretty well. I just need to think of it as another event. I know I can play this course. It's a good setup for me and I just need to keep that in mind that I'm just, it's just one shot at a time, play the course and not - that's kind of it. I'm sure once the first tee shot's over tomorrow, it will all settle in pretty good.”
As for his hopes in the tournament, Lehman was realistic about his chances. He said: “You know, I think obviously making it to the weekend would be successful. I think, yeah, I'd say make it to the weekend, just having - I want to set my expectations high obviously, but I'd say anywhere top 40, 30 would be where I would be very happy with.”
To that end, Lehman admitted he’d taken advice from his dad on how to play the course. He explained: “He's been walking around with me in the practice rounds and he's been helping me out just kind of where to hit it, where the tucked pins are and where the misses are on the greens. He's been very helpful.”
However, he also revealed that the relationship gives him another excuse if things don’t always go to plan. He explained: “Hit it in the bunker, that's the architect's fault.”
If Lehman goes on to have a career anywhere near as successful as his father, which included a win in the 1996 Open, he’s unlikely to need excuses for poor play too often.
