Which accomplishment do you think Tom Lehman is most proud of: winning the inaugural Wichita Open in 1990 or winning the British Open in 1996? The answer is pretty obvious but both are pretty cool.
Lehman went on to win five times on the PGA Tour, including his major title. He was also the captain of the 2006 Ryder Cup team after being a three-time member (winning in 1999 and not to mention a three time member and winner with the President's Cup). Of the 20 winners in the past 21 years of the Wichita Open (Brad Elder won it twice in 1999 and 2007) only five have gone on to win on the PGA Tour.
Lehman is considered one of the best players to swing a club on the PGA Tour but is he the most accomplished past winner of the Wichita Open? It's really a battle of two Davids (Sorry Ben Crane and Johnny Vegas).
David Toms won the PGA Championship in 2001 becoming a major championship winner. Winning a major is a great accomplishment and it's the goal that everyone's chasing. But the PGA Championship doesn't ring as many bells as say, the British Open or The Masters. So when David Duval won his only major title at the British Open at Royal Lythams and St. Annes Golf Club in northern England, those bells rang pretty loud. To many in Europe and across the rest of the world, the British Open is viewed as the "world championship." It TRULY brings out the best golfers every year, no matter the course. The PGA Championship, not so much, but it is still a major and it counts.
Not only have the two Davids won one major each, they are tied with 13 wins on the PGA. But Duval shot a 59 in the final round of the Bob Hope Classic to win in 1999. Oh and he was the number one golfer in the world at a time. Yes, he has done quite a lot in his career on the PGA Tour. Ironically though, Duval's British Open win seemed to be the end of his promising career. In 2002, injuries (both mental and physical) pushed him down the money list and eventually, off the Tour. Many think Duval lost his game. How he lost it? No one is sure. He broke up with his girlfriend earlier that year and didn't really push the leaderboard at all. (He somehow finished T2 at the US Open in 2009 at Bethpage Black)
Right around the time that Duval was fading, Toms was turning it on. He won five times from 2003 to 2006 including a World Golf Championship Match Play title, winning the St. Jude Classic twice and the Sony Open in 2006. But then injuries (am I repeating myself?) set him back and he didn't find himself in the winner's circle for another five years. He nearly won The PLAYERS Championship this year, losing in a playoff to KJ Choi but he held on to win at the Colonial this year.
Outside of the PGA Tour, Duval has six wins worldwide (19 total) and Toms with four (17 total) putting them nearly neck and neck for bragging rights. But other than the 59 record, Duval has something that Toms can’t lay claim to: Ryder Cup winner in 1999.
So congrats to David Duval – the most accomplished past Wichita Open winner. I wish I had a trophy to give you but you could spring for one yourself with the over $18 million in career earnings...
