Al Geiberger - "The Day We Lost Tony Lema" SHORT TRACK
Al Geiberger recalls the short-lived joy of winning the 1966 PGA Championship when, hours later, he and Bruce Devlin learned of the tragic death of Tony Lema and his wife Betty, in a plane crash. They both look back on the loss of their friend, "FORE the Good of the Game."
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About
"FORE the Good of the Game” is a golf podcast featuring interviews with World Golf Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around the game of golf. Highlighting the positive aspects of the game, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by PGA Tour star Bruce Devlin, our podcast focuses on telling their life stories, in their voices. Join Bruce and Mike Gonzalez “FORE the Good of the Game.”
Thanks so much for listening!
Straight down the middle. It went straight down the middle. Then it started to pull.
Bruce DevlinOn a sad note, something else happened that day that really affected all of us a great deal was when Tony and his wife Betty died in that plane crash right after right after you'd won the tournament there. That was a sad day for most people, but a great day for you.
Al GeibergerYeah. Um remember back then, Bruce, they used to block out uh within a hundred mile radius of the tournament and no TV.
Bruce DevlinYeah.
Al GeibergerDo you remember those? Uh they thought that would be galleries come instead of watching it on TV, and so it was blocked out. And I finished that day and it was done when I won. And so I went we were staying with relatives in Canton, Ohio. And um we went back and we had a little, you know, a little party afterwards, and we were watching the replay. See, then they would show it later. And during that replay is when the flash came over the TV that Tony Lehman and his wife had been killed. And oh boy. That was uh That was kind of an airline strike. There was a semi-strike where it was hard to get flights, and I think he chartered a flight. You probably know that better than I do. That uh yeah, that was uh you don't know how to act. You're having a happy moment, you want to major, and then all of a sudden, boom.
Bruce DevlinThat was uh so you know what he was supposed to do the next day? He was supposed to do his little exhibition, then fly to San Francisco, and he and Betty and my wife Gloria and I had reservations to go to Australia.
Al GeibergerOh my god.
Bruce DevlinSo uh uh, you know, I w I I don't know where I was, but I was traveling somewhere getting I think I had a little exhibition to do the next day too, and it wasn't until the next morning that I found out, and that was a that was a sort of a miserable Monday.
Al GeibergerUm, it was. Did you do the thing in Columbus? I think I played in a program in Columbus. I think that might have been what we did, and then I we all went down there for a one-day thing and sad day.
Mike GonzalezWe hope you've enjoyed this short track of For the Good of the Game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, spread the word, whack down, and tell your friends until we tee it up again for the good of the game. So long, everybody.
Intro MusicMy caddy says long as you're still in the state, you're okay.
