Champagne Tony Lema: The East Bay's Major Champion
Tony Lema (1934–1966) had the shortest great career in Bay Area golf. Born in Oakland to Portuguese-American parents — his father died when Tony was three — he learned the game caddying at Lake Chabot municipal, coached along by the muni's pros and by legendary Oakland teacher Lucius Bateman (Wikipedia).
Marine, assistant pro, showman
Lema enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17 and served in Korea. Discharged in 1955, he came home and took a job as assistant professional at the San Francisco Golf Club under John Geertsen (The Open). The nickname came in 1962, when he promised sportswriters champagne if he won the Orange County Open — and poured it (Memorial Tournament). "Champagne Tony" won 12 PGA Tour events in a four-year burst beginning that year.
St Andrews, 1964
Lema arrived at the Old Course for the 1964 Open Championship with barely a practice round, borrowed Arnold Palmer's caddie, Tip Anderson — and won by five shots over Jack Nicklaus (Memorial Tournament). Weeks earlier he had finished runner-up as Ken Venturi survived Congressional; between them, two products of Bay Area caddie yards held the year's two national Opens.
Lansing, 1966
On July 24, 1966, the day after the PGA Championship, the chartered plane carrying Lema and his wife Betty to an exhibition ran out of fuel and crashed on a golf course in Lansing, Illinois. All four aboard died; Lema was 32 (Golf Digest). What might have been is the Bay Area's great golfing question — part of the golden generation chronicled in the history of San Francisco golf.
