Minnesota fans have a special place in their hearts for home-grown talent. We love the "One of Us" stories.
Pro golfer Tom Lehman was born in Austin, MN and moved up north to Alexandria at a young age. He golfed collegiality at the University of Minnesota and went pro in 1982.
Lehman, at age 36 in 1995, was still looking for his first Major tournament win. He finished as the runner-up at the 1994 Masters Tournament behind Jose Maria Olazabal.
Lehman was tied atop the leader board with Greg Norman at the 1995 US Open at Shinnecock Hills (NY) after three rounds after firing a third-round 67.
Greg Norman was also looking for his first career
US Open Championship in 1995
Norman was sitting -5 after Day Two of the event, but a +4 on Day Three brought him to -1 for the tournament, tied with Lehman and one shot ahead of Phil Mickelson and Bob Tway.
Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Steve Stricker, Scott Verplank and Ian Woosnam were all tied for fifth place a +2.
Norman and Lehman both par'd Hole One, but a Norman bogey on Two and a Lehman birdie on Three game Lehman a two stroke lead. Norman played Par Golf through Hole 12. Meanwhile, Lehman bogey'd Four, Ten and Eleven and Double Bogey'd Seven to fall two shots back.
Corey Pavin, who started the day at +2, was now tied with Lehman for second place and two shots behind Norman for the lead.
Pavin and Lehman each shot a birdie on Twelve, and Norman bogey'd the hole to tie the group at +1.
Hole 13 resulted in pars for Pavin and Lehman and another bogey for Norman to move him one shot back.
The group of three each par'd Fourteen. Pavin and Norman recorded birdies on Fifteen, while Lehman shot par.
With three holes left, Corey Pavin had a one shot lead at even par.
Lehman's drive on the Par 5 16th Hole ended in the rough. Lehman had to aim left and play a fade or aim right and hook it back toward the short grass. He chose the hook, only it didn't hook. He then had to chip out of the rough onto the fairway. He later missed a five-foot bogey putt. The double bogey on the hole to move to +3. Norman would bogey Seventeen to move to +2.
Pavin, meanwhile, was still E thru 17 before his second shot from the fairway on Hole 18:
Pavin later described this fairway shot as
"the best shot of my life"
Pavin would par the hole to win his first Major. Norman finished +2, and Lehman finished +3 after having a two shot lead over Pavin after nine holes.
The 1995 US Open Champion, Corey Pavin
Norman, who was 5 under after 36 holes, was +7 over his last two rounds. He went 32 consecutive holes without a birdie.
For Lehman, numerous missed opportunities with two double bogeys on the final day, unable to overtake a plummeting Norman, yet unable to hold off a surging Pavin.