The Other National Championship Tony Lema Won

Lema keeps his hot streak during the Autumn of 1962 going south of the border

Apr 28, 2022

The PGA TOUR event this week visits the Vidanta Villarta Greg Norman course for the Mexico Open, a tournament that dates back to 1948, although it only became an official PGA TOUR event this year. It has a colorful history and some well-known champions including Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw, Billy Casper, Homero Blancas and Stewart Cink. We’re going to backspin to 1962 when Tony Lema added the title to his breakout end of the year hot streak.

No time to read this week’s story? We’ve added it as an episode on The Tour Backspin Show podcast. Listen HERE or on Spotify, Apple or Google.

Congratulations to Owen McClain, a long time subscriber to this newsletter and the winner in the WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest from last week. The featured hole was #3 at Ozarks National Golf Course in Hollister, MO. Want your picture featured in a “Guest Post”? Send it to larry@tourbackspin.com. Scroll down for your chance to win this week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT?

We’re playing Guess The Clubhouse this week on the Tour Backspin Quiz. Scroll down to play.

I would make sure all my insurance was up to date if I bought what the vintage ad is selling. Scroll down to view.

Did you miss a previous newsletter? You can view it HERE. Forward this email to a friend. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? You can sign up HERE.

Okay, we're on the tee, let's get going.

Tony Lema Electrifying In Mexico Open Victory

It’s Wednesday, December 12th, 1962, at the Club de Golf La Hacienda on the northern outskirts of Mexico City. It’s pro-am day at the Mexico Open and defending champion Tony Lema just signed his scorecard for a 64. A course record 8-under-par 64 that bettered the course record on the rugged 7,522-yard course by four strokes. He easily won the pro-am, a warm-up to the main event and was ready to defend his title.

Brimming with confidence, he came out in the first round and shot a 1-over 73 that put him 6-strokes behind the first-round leader Don Massengale who held a 3-stroke lead. What happened? Let’s backspin to find out.

Tony Lema brought his oldest brother, Harry, along with him to Mexico City for the Mexico Open. The two didn’t spend a lot of time together as kids after Harry went off to study at the seminary in San Francisco. This trip would give the two brothers a chance to spend some quality time together.

In 1962, Tony Lema had turned his career around and, in the fall, he won the Sahara Invitational, an unofficial event, then won his first official PGA Tour event, the Orange County Open, where he earned his nickname of “Champagne” Tony Lema. After the third round Lema promised to buy champagne for the reporters if he won and then made good on his promise after defeating Bob Rosburg in a playoff. Three weeks later, he won the Mobile Sertoma Open.

What did Lema credit this career turnaround to? Falling in love with Betty Cline, an airline hostess (what was called a “stewardess” in those days) who he met earlier in the year.

“When we got serious, I got serious,” Lema would say.

The Club de Golf La Hacienda features wide sprawling greens and despite its 7,522-yard length that was played at elevation, a premium was placed on putting. Lema’s course record 64 in the pro-am was due to a fantastic putting round. Once the tournament started, his putter turned cold, at least in the first round.

In Friday’s second round, Massengale extended his lead to 4-strokes. Jackson Bradley was in second place and Tony Lema was tied with Stan Leonard, of Vancouver, B.C., in third place, 2-strokes further back. Lema re-discovered his putting touch and shot a 69 but he still sat 6-strokes off Massengale’s pace.

In Saturday’s third round, Lema shot a 68, tied for the low round of the day with Phil Rogers. Scores were high on Saturday and Massengale shot a 75 and now sat two strokes behind Lema.

The pros continued to shoot high scores in Sunday’s final round. Lema, however, played a steady round missing only three greens and shot a 1-under 71 to successfully defend his title. He won by 4-strokes over Jackson Bradley of Houston, Texas. Massengale finished with another 75 and finished in a tie for third with Alvie Thompson, of Toronto, Canada.

Champagne Tony Lema provided champagne to the press during his post-round press conference. His brother, Harry, stayed in the background and watched. The two brothers had been enjoying Mexico City dining out in the finest restaurants and drinking, along with Massengale, in the bars around the large city.

When Tony was finally done with the press, Harry approached him and extended his hand for a congratulatory handshake. The two shook hands, and Harry was surprised.

“Even though it was a small tournament in Mexico,” Harry recalled later, “Tony was very excited. When I shook his hand, it was like sticking your finger in an electrical outlet. I could feel how excited he was. It was pretty exciting for me, as well.”

As his career was just beginning to jell, thanks, at least in part, to falling in love, Tony Lema was able to overcome the letdown that came after shooting a course-record in the pro-am, shake off the resulting lackluster first round 75, and rally to win a national championship by 4-strokes. He would go on to become one of the true superstars of the mid-1960s PGA TOUR and captured the 1964 Open Championship at The Old Course in St. Andrews.

Want to learn more about Tony Lema and his life on the PGA TOUR? Check out Uncorked, The Life and Times of Champagne Tony Lema available on Amazon. Order HERE or read the Kindle edition for free if you are an Amazon Prime member.

Tony Lema (l) and Donald Fernquest (r) of Fernquest and Johnson inspect the grind on an F&J Tony Lema iron

Check out the bonus story below about the best 75 shot at the 1962 Mexico Open.

This week’s playlist is all about Mexico. Listen HERE .

Please help us grow by forwarding this email to a friend who would enjoy it. Thanks.

Share Tour Backspin

Enjoy!
Larry Baush

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

Thanks for reading! Please let your family, friends and colleagues know they
can sign up for email delivery of this free newsletter through this link.

WHAT HOLE IS IT?

Click to Answer

CLICK TO ANSWER

Are you on the leader board?

Tour Backspin Quiz | Guess The Clubhouse

Answer below

Bonus Story

Alvie Thompson of Toronto, Canada, shot the most fantastic round of golf in the fourth round of the 1962 Mexico Open. After hitting three drives out of bounds on the first hole he recorded a 10. He then recovered from that horrendous start with birdies on the second, third, seventh, and ninth holes to make the turn in 40. He missed a hole-in-one on the ninth hole by six inches.

He kept up his torrid pace on the back nine with birdies on the 14th and 16th holes and shot a 35 for a total of 75 on a day when the scoring was high. He finished in a tie for third place with Don Massengale, the leader after the first and second rounds.

Stan Leonard, of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, shot a final round 75 and finished six strokes behind the winner, Tony Lema. This put two Canadians in the top 5 of the Mexico Open.