| Born: 1st December 1939, Dallas, Texas |
| US Tour wins: 27 |
| Ryder Cup appearances: 6 (1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1981) |
| Lee Trevino's is a
classic story of poor boy made good. Brought up
near the United States/Mexico border, this
'Texican' learned his golf with a bottle in hand
- to hit the ball with, not to drink from. He
developed what was termed an 'agricultural'
swing, but whatever it looked like, then and now,
it has earned Trevino a fortune. He is a magical
shot-maker and has a fast wit with which he has
entertained crowds all over the globe. The
private Trevino is a very different character, as
withdrawn and wary as one might expect of someone
who has more than once been ripped off by
so-called friends and advisers, but this
enigmatic individual will be remembered by
posterity as a voluble extrovert as well as a
formidable golfer. Trevino's first significant victory could hardly have been more auspicious - the 1968 US Open. Three years later he collected the 'Triple Crown' - the US, Canadian and British Opens - within 20 days, beating Jack Nicklaus in an 18-hole playoff in the former, beating Art Wall in a sudden-death playoff in Canada, and then beating Lu Liang Huan of Taiwan by a stroke at Birkdale. He retained his Open title the following summer when he holed from off the green three times in the last 21 holes at Muirfield to crush the spirit of Tony Jacklin, notably by chipping in when all looked lost to save his par on the 71st hole. Since then Trevino has twice won the US PGA Championship, in 1974 and 1984, but the Masters will now surely elude him. He has never been enamoured with the course at Augusta, where a player who can hit the ball high and from right-to-left, precisely the opposite of what Trevino ordinarily does, has an inestimable advantage. And besides, Trevino's humble roots and impecunious upbringing meant that his relationship with the starchy officials at one of America's most exclusive and conservative institutions was always bound to be strained. It has been suggested that Trevino's magnificent career would have been still more glittering had he not been struck by lightning during a tournament in Chicago in 1975, an incident which has caused him recurring and severe back problems. On the other hand, his form on the US Senior tour has not been indicative of a man deprived by fate. Since he joined what he calls the fat-bellies circuit full-time in 1990, Trevino has won 16 times and earned over $3 million and rising fast. "In case of a thunderstorm, stand in the middle of the fairway and hold up a one iron. Not even God can hit a one iron." - Lee Trevino |
 Trevino is a voluble extrovert with a Midas touch.
Despite his reputation for instant humour, Trevino is a serious player on the golf course. |
