Now that Tom Lehman has convinced most everyone else that he is one of the best golfers in the world, all he needs to do is convince himself. Then the rest of the PGA Tour is in real trouble.
"In all honesty, I don't think I give myself enough credit," Lehman said at Southern Hills Country Club, where he won the Tour Championship on Monday in a rout of the top money-winners on tour."I think my best golf is ahead of me," Lehman said.
That's a scary thought considering that Lehman won the Tour Championship by six strokes with a masterful 12-under-par 268, in which he took a record-tying 9-stroke lead into the final round and coasted home.
The victory gave Lehman the money title, the best scoring average and the PGA of America player-of-the-year award.
"It turned out to be a dream year," Lehman said. "I really didn't think about winning the money title until this week. I played great, and everything just fell together."
Lehman is now a strong contender for the PGA Tour player-of-the-year award, which is determined in a vote of players.
"I told Tom coming up No. 18 that he's got my vote," Brad Faxon said after closing with a 68 and finishing second with at 274, one stroke ahead of Steve Stricker, who closed with a 65.
"He came in here ready to play," Faxon said about Lehman.
The $540,000 first-place check gave Lehman $1,780,159, breaking the record $1,654,959 won by Greg Norman last year. Lehman edged Phil Mickelson by $82,360 as leading money-winner.
"I needed to finish third or higher to stay on top of the money list, and I didn't do it," Mickelson said. "It's a little disappointing, but Tom played great this week. He deserved it."
Mickelson came into the tournament leading the money list and ahead in the point system that determines the PGA of America player of the year. Mickelson, with four victories, and Mark Brooks, with three wins including the PGA Championship, were considered the front-runners in the player voting for the PGA Tour player-of-the-year award.
But Mickelson finished 12th at 283, and Brooks was tied for 27th at 295 as Lehman leaped over both of them to top the money list.
Lehman finished the year with two victories - including the British Open - and 13 top-10 finishes - including a second at the U.S. Open. He finished out of the top 20 only three times in 22 events.
Tiger Woods - whose one bad round was a second-round 78 on the day his father was hospitalized with chest pains - finished with a 68 and tied for 21st at 288.
The $55,800 check gave Woods $790,594 for the year in only eight events. The rookie earnings record of $881,436 was set by David Duval last year in 26 tournaments.
Lehman, 37, broke into the PGA Tour in 1983, but in three years won less than $40,000. The next six years he scratched out a living on tours in Asia and South Africa as well as such minor America tours as the PGT, the Dakotas, the Golden State, the South Florida and the Carolinas.
He returned to the PGA Tour in 1992 and won his first tournament at the Memorial in 1994. Since then he has been a constant contender, playing in the final group of four major championships - twice at the Masters and twice at the U.S. Open without winning - before playing in the last group at this year's British Open and holding off Nick Faldo.
DIVOTS: Earl Woods, the 64-year-old father of Tiger Woods, was expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday after experiencing chest pains Friday. The elder Woods plans to travel with his son to the Australian Open next month . . . Frank Williams, manager for Greg Norman, said the Australian withdrew from the Tour Championship because he had an overseas commitment . . . Lehman's runaway victory was not close to being a record. Johnny Miller won the 1975 Phoenix Open by 14 strokes. Jose Maria Olazabal won the 1990 World Series of Golf by 12 strokes . . . Tiger Woods shot a 68 on Monday despite a triple bogey on No. 17. He played the front nine on Friday in 43 and played the other 63 holes even par.