Lee Trevino facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Lee Trevino
Trevino in April 2010
Personal information
Full name	Lee Buck Trevino
Nickname	The Merry Mex, Supermex
Born	(1939-12-01) December 1, 1939 (age 85) Garland, Texas, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Nationality	United States
Residence	Jupiter Island, Florida, U.S.
Spouse	Claudia Fenley (divorced) Claudia Bove (m. 1983)
Children	6
Career
Turned professional	1960
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions Tour
Professional wins	92
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	29
European Tour	5
Japan Golf Tour	1
Sunshine Tour	1
PGA Tour of Australasia	1
Champions Tour	29 (3rd all-time)
Other	19 (regular) 10 (senior)
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 6)
The Masters Tournament	T10: 1975, 1985
U.S. Open	Won: 1968, 1971
The Open Championship	Won: 1971, 1972
PGA Championship	Won: 1974, 1984
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	1981
PGA Tour money list winner	1970
Vardon Trophy	1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1980
PGA Player of the Year	1971
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year	1971
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year	1971
Byron Nelson Award	1980
Senior PGA Tour money list winner	1990, 1992
Senior PGA Tour Player of the Year	1990, 1992, 1994
Senior PGA Tour Rookie of the Year	1990
Senior PGA Tour Byron Nelson Award	1990, 1991, 1992

Lee Buck Trevino, born on December 1, 1939, is an American retired professional golfer. Many people consider him one of the greatest golf players ever. He was added to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981. During his career, Trevino won six major golf championships and 29 events on the PGA Tour. He is one of only four golfers to win the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship twice each. The Masters Tournament was the only major championship he did not win. Trevino is a hero for Mexican Americans and is often called "the Merry Mex" or "Supermex." These are friendly nicknames given to him by other golfers.

Lee Trevino's Early Life

Lee Trevino was born in Garland, Texas. His family had Mexican roots. His mother, Juanita Trevino, and his grandfather, Joe Trevino, who was a gravedigger, raised him. Lee never knew his father.

As a child, Lee sometimes went to school and worked to help his family earn money. When he was five, he started working in cotton fields.

How Lee Trevino Started Golf

Lee discovered golf when his uncle gave him some golf balls and an old club. He spent his free time secretly practicing at nearby country clubs. He soon became a caddie at the Dallas Athletic Club. A caddie carries golf clubs for players.

Lee left school at age 14 to work full-time. He earned money as a caddie and by shining shoes. The caddies had three short golf holes behind their shack. After work, Lee would hit at least 300 golf balls. He often practiced from hard, dry ground in windy conditions. This helped him develop his unique and effective golf swing. He was known for his controlled "fade" shot. Many people still remember him as one of the best shot-makers in golf history.

Serving in the Marines

When Lee turned 17 in December 1956, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He served for four years as a machine gunner. He left the Marines in December 1960 as a corporal. During his time in the military, he played golf with Marine Corps officers. He did very well in golf events for the Armed Forces in Asia.

Lee Trevino's Professional Golf Career

After leaving the Marines, Lee Trevino became a golf professional in El Paso, Texas. He earned extra money by playing golf matches for bets. He played in the U.S. Open in 1966 and finished tied for 54th place. This earned him $600.

In 1967, he played in the U.S. Open again. He finished fifth, earning $6,000. This allowed him to play on the PGA Tour for the rest of the year. He earned $26,472 as a rookie and was named "Rookie of the Year" by Golf Digest magazine.

Winning the U.S. Open

In 1968, his second year on the tour, Trevino won the U.S. Open in Rochester, New York. He finished four strokes ahead of Jack Nicklaus, who was the defending champion. Trevino was the first player to score under 70 in all four rounds of a U.S. Open.

Throughout his career, Trevino won 29 times on the PGA Tour. This included six major championships. He was at his best in the early 1970s, often competing closely with Jack Nicklaus. He was the top money winner in 1970. He won six tournaments in 1971 and four in 1972.

A Remarkable Winning Streak

Lee Trevino had an amazing series of wins in 1971. Over 20 days, he won three big tournaments. First, he beat Jack Nicklaus in a playoff to win the 1971 U.S. Open. Two weeks later, he won the Canadian Open. The very next week, he won The Open Championship (also known as the British Open). He was the first player to win all three of these titles in the same year.

For his achievements in 1971, Trevino received several awards. He was given the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete. Sports Illustrated magazine named him their "Sportsman of the Year." He was also named ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year.

Defending The Open Championship

In 1972, at Muirfield in Scotland, Trevino became the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win The Open Championship two years in a row. In the final round, Trevino was tied for the lead with Tony Jacklin. On the 17th hole, Trevino made a great chip shot from the rough to save par. Jacklin then struggled on the same hole. Trevino won the Open by one stroke over Jack Nicklaus. He made four amazing chip-in shots from off the greens during the tournament.

Later Career and Injuries

In 1974, Trevino won the Greater New Orleans Open without making any bogeys. This was a very rare achievement. He also won his fifth major championship, the PGA Championship, beating Jack Nicklaus again.

In 1975, while playing in the Western Open near Chicago, Trevino was struck by lightning. He had surgery for his spine, but back problems continued to affect his game. Even with these issues, he was ranked second in the world in 1980.

At 44 years old, Trevino won his sixth and final major championship at the PGA Championship in 1984. He was the first player to score under 70 in all four rounds of this tournament.

Tom Watson (left) with President Ronald Reagan and Trevino in 1988

In the early 1980s, Trevino was second on the PGA Tour's all-time money list, behind only Jack Nicklaus. From 1968 to 1981, he won at least one PGA Tour event every year for 14 seasons. He also won many international tournaments. He helped make the Senior PGA Tour (now called the PGA Tour Champions) very popular. He won 29 senior events, including four major senior championships. He was the top money winner on the senior tour in 1990 and 1992.

Lee Trevino also played golf in other countries, including Australia, Japan, and Europe. He won the Casio World Open in Japan in 1981. In Europe, he won The Open Championship twice. He also won two other European Tour events later in his career.

From 1983 to 1989, he worked as a TV commentator for PGA Tour events on NBC. In 2014, Trevino was named "Golf Professional Emeritus" at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.

Lee Trevino and the Masters Tournament

The Masters Tournament was the only major championship Lee Trevino never won. In 1989, at age 49, he started the Masters with a great score of 67, leading the tournament. This was surprising because he had once said he would never play there again. He felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere at Augusta National Golf Club and thought the course did not suit his style of play.

Trevino did not accept invitations to the Masters in 1970, 1971, and 1974. In 1972, he even kept his golf shoes in his car trunk instead of using the clubhouse locker room. He later said that boycotting the Masters was "the greatest mistake I've made in my career." He also called Augusta National "the eighth wonder of the world." His best finish at the Masters was tied for tenth place in 1975 and 1985.

Awards and Achievements

Trevino was the first player to score under par in all four rounds of the U.S. Open. He did this at Oak Hill in 1968.
A main street in El Paso, Texas is named Lee Trevino Drive in his honor. Streets in Rio Rancho and Belen, New Mexico, are also named after him.
He received the 1971 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award.
He is one of only two golfers to win the PGA Tour's three oldest events in the same year: The Open Championship (started 1860), the U.S. Open (started 1895), and the Canadian Open (started 1904). Trevino achieved this in 1971.
Trevino played for the United States in the Ryder Cup six times (1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1981). He had a very good record in these team events. He was also the team captain in 1985.
He won the Vardon Trophy five times for having the lowest scoring average: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1980.
Trevino has created many scholarships and financial aid programs for Mexican-Americans.
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.
In 2000, Golf Digest magazine ranked Trevino as the 14th-greatest golfer of all time.

Lee Trevino's Sense of Humor

Lee Trevino was known for being friendly and funny throughout his career. Reporters often quoted his jokes. He once said, "I played the tour in 1967 and told jokes and nobody laughed. Then I won the Open the next year, told the same jokes, and everybody laughed."

At the start of his 1971 U.S. Open playoff against Jack Nicklaus, Trevino playfully threw a rubber snake at Nicklaus. His daughter had put it in his golf bag as a joke. Nicklaus laughed, and Trevino went on to win the playoff.

During one tournament, Tony Jacklin, who was playing with Trevino, said, "Lee, I don't want to talk today." Trevino quickly replied, "I don't want you to talk. I just want you to listen."

Trevino also made a memorable appearance in the comedy movie Happy Gilmore. He appeared in scenes where he reacted to Happy's angry outbursts. His only spoken line was when another character, Shooter McGavin, said to Happy, "Yeah, right, and Grizzly Adams had a beard." Trevino then appeared and said, "Grizzly Adams did have a beard."

After he was struck by lightning in 1975, a reporter asked Trevino what he would do if it stormed again on the golf course. Trevino famously answered that he would take out his 1-iron club and point it to the sky. He joked, "because not even God can hit a 1-iron." He later said that he might have tempted fate by staying outside during a lightning delay to entertain fans.

Trevino once said, "I've been hit by lightning and been in the Marine Corps for four years. I've traveled the world and been about everywhere you can imagine. There's not anything I'm scared of except my wife."

Major Championship Wins

Lee Trevino won six major championships during his career.

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
1968	U.S. Open	1 shot deficit	−5 (69-68-69-69=275)	4 strokes	Jack Nicklaus
1971	U.S. Open (2)	4 shot deficit	E (70-72-69-69=280)	Playoff¹	Jack Nicklaus
1971	The Open Championship	1 shot lead	−14 (69-70-69-70=278)	1 stroke	Lu Liang-Huan
1972	The Open Championship (2)	1 shot lead	−6 (71-70-66-71=278)	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus
1974	PGA Championship	1 shot lead	−4 (73-66-68-69=276)	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus
1984	PGA Championship (2)	1 shot lead	−15 (69-68-67-69=273)	4 strokes	Gary Player, Lanny Wadkins

¹Defeated Jack Nicklaus in 18-hole playoff; Trevino 68 (−2), Nicklaus 71 (+1).

Major Championship Performance

This table shows Lee Trevino's results in major championships over the years.

Tournament	1966	1967	1968	1969
Masters Tournament			T40	T19
U.S. Open	T54	5	1	CUT
The Open Championship				T34
PGA Championship			T23	T48

Tournament	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
Masters Tournament			T33	T43		T10	T28		T14	T12
U.S. Open	T8	1	T4	T4	CUT	T29		T27	T12	T19
The Open Championship	T3	1	1	T10	T31	T40		4	T29	T17
PGA Championship	T26	T13	T11	T18	1	T60	CUT	T13	T7	T35

Tournament	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
Masters Tournament	T26	CUT	T38	T20	43	T10	47	CUT	CUT	T18
U.S. Open	T12	CUT	CUT		T9	CUT	T4	CUT	T40	CUT
The Open Championship	2	T11	T27	5	T14	T20	T59	T17	CUT	T42
PGA Championship	7	DQ		T14	1	2	T11		CUT	CUT

Tournament	1990	1991	1992	1994	1995	2000
Masters Tournament	T24	T49
U.S. Open		CUT
The Open Championship	T25	T17	T39	CUT	CUT	CUT
PGA Championship	CUT

Win Top 10 Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary of Major Championship Results

Tournament	Wins	2nd	3rd	Top-5	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	0	0	0	0	2	8	20	17
U.S. Open	2	0	0	6	8	11	23	15
The Open Championship	2	1	1	6	7	14	26	22
PGA Championship	2	1	0	3	5	12	21	16
Totals	6	2	1	15	22	45	90	70

Most consecutive cuts made – 16 (1969 Open Championship – 1973 PGA)
Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (seven times)

The Players Championship

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1980	Tournament Players Championship	1 shot lead	−10 (68-72-68-70=278)	1 stroke	Ben Crenshaw

Results Timeline

Tournament	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987
The Players Championship	18	T50	T17		WD	T5	1	T12	DQ	T68	2	T55	T21	CUT

Win Top 10 Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
DQ = disqualified
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Champions Tour Major Championships

Wins (4)

Year	Championship	Winning Score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
1990	U.S. Senior Open	−13 (67–68–73–67=275)	2 strokes	Jack Nicklaus
1992	The Tradition	−14 (67–69–68–70=274)	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus
1992	PGA Seniors' Championship	−10 (72–64–71–71=278)	1 stroke	Mike Hill
1994	PGA Seniors' Championship (2)	−9 (70–69–70–70=279)	1 stroke	Jim Colbert

U.S. National Team Appearances

Lee Trevino represented the United States in several important golf team events.

Ryder Cup: 1969 (tied), 1971 (winners), 1973 (winners), 1975 (winners), 1979 (winners), 1981 (winners). He was also the non-playing captain in 1985.
World Cup: 1968, 1969 (winners, also individual winner), 1970, 1971 (winners), 1974.