SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Tom Lehman won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday at Desert Mountain to become the first player to win the Champions Tourseason points title two straight years.
After shooting 68-63-62 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round, Lehman birdied four of the last five holes for a 5-under 65 and a six-stroke victory.
Lehman won at the mountainside club where he first worked with Jim Flick, the noted swing instructor stricken by pancreatic cancer.
"The more I thought about that, the more teary-eyed I would get," said Lehman, who spoke to Flick on the phone before the round. "I decided I can't play this round of golf with tears in my eyes. I have to wait until business is finished."
Lehman received a $1 million annuity in the Charles Schwab Cup points competition and earned $440,000 for the tournament victory. The 53-year-old Scottsdale resident also won the Regions Tradition in June in Alabama and has seven victories in 62 career starts on the 50-and-over tour. He won five times on the PGA Tour.
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He'll use part of the $1 million annuity to help with a junior foundation he plans to set up to honor Flick.
Jay Haas shot a 69 to finish second.
