Tom Lehman Leading Transitions after Three Rounds

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook is set up like a Major championship venue and its playing that way with difficult rough and firm and fast greens. No surprise then that Major champions are rising up the leader board.

At the top is Tom Lehman, 1996 British Open champion who shot 68-69-68 the first three days of the Transitions Championship and is at eight-under par. One stroke back is 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen.

There are four players three strokes back of Lehman tied for third place including defending Masters champion Trevor Immelman. There are eight golfers four strokes back tied for seventh place including 2001 PGA champion David Toms and 2002 PGA champion Rich Beem.

In total, there are 17 golfers within five strokes of leader Lehman.

Tom Lehman has done it all in his golfing career and endured all the hardships that befriend a professional golfer over a 26 year period of time. The injuries, the loss of game have unfortunately visited him recently.

But the 50-year old golfer hasn’t done one thing that was expected—run to the Champions Tour where the competition is competitive but not as competitive as the regular PGA TOUR.

“Turning 50 is a milestone. As a golfer, I've always been competitive and always wanted to play my best. I've enjoyed my years on the PGA TOUR but at some point I'll know when it's time to move on."

The time has not come. There may be one or two more wins for Tom on the PGA TOUR. Fred Funk won the 2005 PLAYERS at the age of 50 years, eight months, 11 days to rank fifth behind Sam Sneed’s record setting win at the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open at age 52 years, 10 months, and eight days.

A victory by Lehman would put him at No. 7 on the list of oldest winners.

The tendonitis in his right elbow hit hard starting at the Barclays in late August last year.

"I couldn't really play. I couldn't get the club past my waist. Took it halfway back and just a shooting pain through my elbow and all the way to the top of the backswing, and at impact it was not pleasant, either.

"(I) tried this and (I) tried that and couldn't get it fixed, and finally did this thing called prolotherapy which worked. So I had a series of treatment in November, December and started practicing towards the end of December and getting ready for the season.”

Then once he was healthy his game left him. “The season started horribly. I'm not sure if it was that (tendonitis)—I don't know what it was. All I know is I was hitting it sideways. And the more I worked, the worse it got.

"And on top of that, my putting didn't feel very good, and just my game was in shambles. It was making that turning 50 look all the more appealing, quite frankly.”

But like all golfers that one tip to get everything back on track is right around the corner.

“I got a really good tip starting at the Buick when I played very poorly there. I saw Jim Flick for three days. He's my coach, and he told me to start practicing and taking swings in slow motion just to kind of get my rhythm back.

"And then my dad gave me a little tip, kind of the same thing, a little variation. And my friend, Dennis Trixler, caddied for me in México and said the exact same thing. In México I hit it really well.

"Led the tournament in driving accuracy that week and hit a lot of good iron shots. And so to make a really long story short, I've been working really hard on my game and it's starting to pay off.”

So Tom’s strategy for Sunday at the Transitions? “Just go execute. Every shot is a shot and just go hit it the best you can hit it. You know when you kind of get into the moment that way, you know, you make four birdies in a row (like he did on Saturday afternoon), you don't even realize until you finish playing.”

Is being the oldest guy in the field an advantage or disadvantage? “I just turned 50. That actually works in my favor I think. You realize there's a lot more important things in life than a golf tournament; though this is very important.

"And hey, expectations, I feel like I shouldn't win. So I feel like I have everything to win tomorrow and nothing to lose, and I feel good about that, too.”

Retief Goosen’s game is also coming back after reaching the peak in 2004 when he won his second U.S. Open Championship and the Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola. He shot 69-68-69 and is alone in second place one stroke behind Lehman.

Though different pressure-wise from a U.S. Open he was asked if the course conditions mirrored that of a U.S. Open. “At least you can still hit eight-irons here instead of three or four-irons. It's set up like a U.S. Open. The rough is four inches deep and the greens are getting quicker and it's breezy in the afternoon.

Goosen was in contention to win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am when the final round was cancelled due to rain and Dustin Johnson was crowned the 54-hole champion. Why the early success this year?

“I'm working much harder on my game. (I) lost about 20 pounds of weight since last year this time. I'm playing a little bit more at the beginning of this year than I normally did, and I'm practicing and working much harder on my game, just trying to find some form.

"I'm putting some good rounds together for a change again. I've had a low round here and there. And to get around this course under par is a good round.

"Trevor Immelman is the young Major champion at age 29. His 70 on moving day Saturday jumped him all the way from 11th to a four-way tie for third with Stuart Appleby, Jonathon Byrd, and Charles Howell III.

"Gearing up for his Masters defense in three weeks he started Round Three with a nice chip-in eagle at the par-five first hole. “It's nice to get out and play well for three rounds this week. Obviously this golf course is pretty demanding and you have to play some great golf to give yourself a chance to win.”

The world traveler may have played himself tired after finishing the regular PGA TOUR season with a T13 at the BMW Championship and a T10 at the TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. He then went to Japan where he finished fifth in an event. Then he finished 10th at the South African Open.

After playing on the European Tour in Abu Dhabi Immelman took four weeks off before starting his U.S. play this year. Up until the Transitions his performance on the course has been lackluster with a miss cut at The Northern Trust Open and low finishes at both WGCs.

“It's been frustrating for me in the last few weeks, but definitely nice to step up this week and hit some good, quality shots, in demanding conditions, because obviously this is what it's like at a major championship. So I'm definitely going to bank this and hopefully try and build on this up to Augusta.”

Along with Toms and Beem tied for seventh place four strokes back are Steve Stricker, the second round co-leader who shot 73, Brett Quigley, who tied for second in the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banc Popular last week, Charlie Wi, Matt Kuchar, Joe Durant, and Troy Matteson.

The other second round co-leader Nick Watney shot 74 and is tied for 15th, five strokes back of Lehman.

It is likely that the golf course will win with the yet-to-be-determined champion likely to finish around 10-under par. Who will win the 2009 Transitions Championship come Sunday afternoon?

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering for the tournaments and working part time for NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and The Golf Channel.

He resides in Jacksonville Beach, FL near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mailing him to [e-mail]