THE BEAST OF BROOKLINE NO MORE

Last year’s American captain was assured of a warm welcome from the moment he landed in Milan this week for the Italian Open.

Even though his side suffered a second successive record defeat at The K Club eight months ago, none had a bad word to say for his leadership – and his qualities have just been recognised in a way that stunned him.

Lehman accepted an invitation to play at Tolcinasco along with one of his deputies Duffy Waldorf, and will be the first recipient of what is sure to become one of golf’s most prestigious awards.

The Byron Nelson Prize will be presented annually “to the person or organisation in golf who exemplifies the spirit of giving back” personified by Nelson, who died, aged 94, last September.

Lehman and his wife have raised more than £2million for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund at the University of Minnesota and he said: “I’m obviously kind of choked up about it. I’ve been inspired in my life by Byron Nelson to want to be a better golfer, but more importantly a better person.

My first reaction was, ‘Why me?’

Lehman

“My first reaction was, ‘Why me?’ There are so many people in this world that are doing so much. I’m just a kid from Minnesota.

“I know my strengths and weaknesses. I just thought, ‘I don’t deserve this’. But I learnt something a long time ago, that if it took a perfect person to have an impact on the people around you or an impact on your world, nobody would do anything ever because nobody is perfect.

“It’s the ultimate compliment to receive an award that has Mr Nelson’s name on it. It’s a very humbling experience.”