TONY LEMA, 30 YEAR-OLD CALIFORNIAN, JOINED A DISTINGUISHED LIST OF GOLFERS YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) WHEN HE CONQUERED THE OLD COURSE AT ST. ANDREWS AND TOOK THE BRITISH OPEN TITLE ON HIS FIRST TRIP TO THE COUNTRY.

LEMA'S VICTORY WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST PERFORMANCES IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP. THAT AN AMERICAN, ON HIS FIRST TRIP TO BRITAIN, COULD MASTER THE OLD COURSE WITH ONLY TWO PRACTICE ROUNDS, DEFIED ALL EXPECTATIONS.

LEMA'S TOTAL FOR THE FOUR ROUNDS WAS 279 (73,68,68,70). SECOND CAME ANOTHER AMERICAN, JACK NICKLAUS WITH 284. HE HAD PUT UP A WONDERFUL 66 ON THE THIRD ROUND, EQUALLING THE COURSE RECORD, AND HIS FINAL ROUND WAS 68.

THE BRITISH OPEN IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S PREMIER GOLF TITLES. OUR FILM SHOWS SOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION AT THIS YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP.

THE LEFT-HANDER, BOB CHARLES OF NEW ZEALAND, WHO WON THIS TOURNAMENT LAST YEAR, WAS WELL DOWN THE FIELD WITH A FINAL AGGREGATE OF 297.

GARY PLAYER, THE SOUTH AFRICAN, HAD A BEST ROUND OF 70 - TWO UNDER PAR -- BUT WITH A TOTAL OF 292 WAS EIGHT EQUAL.

LU, OF HONG KONG, ONE OF THE SMALLEST PLAYERS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, HAD A SECOND ROUND OF 7 BUT WITH AN AGGREGATE OF 299 WAS WELL DOWN THE FIELD.

LU WAS PLAYING WITH MIGUEL, THE SPANIARD WHO TIED WITH PLAYER, FINISHING ON 292.

THE POWERFUL ARGENTINIAN, ROBERT DE VICENZO HAD A FINE 285 TO FINISH THIRD FOR THE FIFTH TIME SINCE HE FIRST PLAYED IN THE EVENT IN 1948.

BUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE REMEMBERED BY THE MAGNIFICENT PLAY OF LEMA. A HUGE CROWD WATCHED HIM PLAY THE LAST HOLE. HIS DRIVE PUT HIM JUST SHORT OF THE GREEN. UNPERTURBED BY THE CROWD HE PLAYED A DELICATE RUN WHICH ENDED ONLY 18 INCHES FROM THE HOLE.

HE SANK THE PUTT AND THREW HIS BALL INTO THE CROWD.

FOR LEMA: ONE OF THE MOST COVETED TITLES IN THE GOLFING WORLD, AND A PURSE OF GBP1,500.