Winning Ways
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[0 Comment]Not long ago an ugly rumor was going around about world-class professional golfer Tom Lehman: he'd been seen kissing a gorgeous, long-haired brunette. That was pretty hot stuff, considering Tom is a well-known Christian and a notoriously moral family man.
That rumor made Tom angry. He had, in fact, kissed the attractive brunette. But the woman in question was Melissa, his wife.
Melissa laughs it off: "Wow! I'm a mistress. How exciting."
But the Lehmans recognize the false rumor as spiritual warfare: the devil doesn't like Tom's high-profile, clean-living reputation.
"That rumor was going around in a place where I'd spoken twice about my faith," he says. "Someone heard that rumor and believed it, and now is questioning my faith."
Tom is a mild man—as quiet and controlled as a golfer lining up a putt. But when it comes to his family and his faith, he doesn't hesitate to speak up. He and Melissa have come a long way—in his career and in their marriage—and he's proud to talk about it.
"Melissa is the perfect wife for me, without question," Tom says happily.
He's right. How many women could endure the debt, the uncertainty, the stress and the hectic travel schedule that have been part of Tom's gradual rise in the PGA and call it "an adventure"? Melissa could.
Polyester Romance
Growing up in Minnesota, Tom started golfing with his dad and brother when he was eight years old. At the University of Minnesota, he was named an All-American three years running. By the time he graduated, he was considered one of the best amateur golfers in the country.
Tom qualified for his first PGA tour in 1983 and for three years struggled to remain on the tour. His performance was up-and-down, the travel schedule was exhausting and he was lonely. In 1984, a fellow golfer set him up with a friend of his wife. Enter Melissa, a sophomore at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California.
"People often wonder if I was a golf fan who hung around the pro tour, hoping to meet a golfer," she laughs. "Nothing could be further from the truth."
"She didn't know a birdie from a bogey from a par," Tom recalls. "She asked me, 'Is what you do like what Jack Nicklaus does?'"
"At first he seemed like sort of a geek," Melissa admits. "I didn't realize all the golfers wore polyester clothes!"
If Melissa had reservations about Tom's appearance, the feeling wasn't mutual.
Originally published in: Marriage Partnership, 1998, Winter
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