Tony Lema Biography
Born as | Anthony Lema |
Occup. | Athlete |
From | USA |
Spouse | Betty Lema |
Born | February 25, 1934 Chicago, Illinois, USA |
Died | July 24, 1966 Dublin, Ohio, USA |
Cause | Plane crash |
Aged | 32 years |
Anthony "Tony" David Lema, born upon February 25, 1934, was an achieved American expert golf enthusiast that ended up being a follower fave in the 1960s prior to his terrible fatality in 1966. A gifted and also charming golf enthusiast, Lema's life tale is right stuff of legends.
Birthed in Oakland, California, to Portuguese-American moms and dads, Tony Lema was presented to golf at a very early age. He began working as a caddy at Oakland's Sequoyah Country Club when he was barely 10 years old. It existed that he found out the fundamentals of the game and also began playing. Lema's real golf education and also design were honed under the guidance of coaches like Lucius Bateman, Red Hunter, and also sportswriter Bob Drum.
Lema enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1951 as well as offered in battle during the Korean War. While in the Marines, he honed his golf abilities on various military programs, inevitably leading him to compete in army tournaments. Tony's success in these occasions eventually protected him an invite to the 1954 United States Amateur Championship.
He transformed specialist in 1957 and made his method onto the PGA Tour circuit. However, it had not been till 1962 that Tony Lema scored his first considerable win at the Orange County Open Invitational in Costa Mesa, California. By 1963, Lema was making waves on the golf scene, gaining the label "Champagne Tony." This moniker was influenced by his genial nature, great appearances, and the bottles of sparkling wine he would give out to the press after a win.
Lema's crowning moment in golf was available in 1964 when he won the 93rd British Open Championship at St. Andrews, Scotland, beating the famous
Jack Nicklaus. That year, Lema finished in the leading 5 in all four significant championships, an uncommon accomplishment in golf. He had quickly developed himself as one of the globe's leading golfers, winning a total amount of twelve PGA Tour titles in between 1962 and 1966.
Tony Lema was likewise understood for his sportsmanship and kindness. He made a point to engage with the crowd during his tournaments and also was recognized for providing financial support to promising young golf players.
On July 24, 1966, misfortune struck when Tony Lema and his better half, Betty, boarded a chartered trip from Chicago to a golf event in Indiana. The aircraft however ran out of fuel and also collapsed near Lansing, Illinois. Both Tony and also Betty Lema, in addition to the two pilots, perished in the accident. Tony Lema was only 32 years of ages at the time of his death, while Betty was 30.
Tony Lema's unfortunate death robbed the golf globe of a charming as well as talented competitor. Nonetheless, his memory survives via the stories of his life, his remarkable accomplishments on the training course, as well as the myriads of fans that remain to keep in mind and also appreciate him.
Our collection contains 4 quotes who is written / told by Tony.
Related authors: Jack Nicklaus (Athlete)
Source / external links: