Lee Trevino, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, won six majors and 29 PGA Tour events in his legendary career. He was born on Dec. 1, 1939.
Trevino is certainly one of the most unlikely multiple-major winners the sport has ever seen. After growing up poor in Texas and working in cotton fields from the age of 5, Trevino learned the game by sneaking onto courses to play and then caddying. He built his nerve in high-stakes gambling games and during a four-year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps as a machine gunner.
He built a repeatable push-fade that led to him becoming one of the most accurate ballstrikers of all time, even if he didn’t have the power of adversaries such as Jack Nicklaus or Tom Weiskopf.
After breaking through for his first Tour win and major title at the 1968 U.S. Open at Oak Hill, where he beat Nicklaus by four shots, he went on to win the 1971 U.S. Open at Merion (beating Nicklaus in a playoff); the British Open in 1971 (Royal Birkdale) and 1972 (Muirfield, beating Nicklaus by a shot); and the PGA Championship in 1974 (Tanglewood, again beating Nicklaus by a shot) and 1984 (Shoal Creek).
Affectionately known as the Merry Mex, Trevino was a fearsome competitor who loved to talk during rounds, frequently carrying on one-sided conversations with the galleries. He was the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year in 1971; won the Vardon Trophy (lowest scoring average) in 1970, ’71, ’72, ’74 and ’80; and was the Tour’s leading money winner in 1970. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.
Here’s a look at his career in photos:
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Lee Trevino reacts after he birdied the fourth hole in the third round of the U.S.…
Lee Trevino reacts after he birdied the fourth hole in the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at the Merion Golf Club at Ardmore, Pa., on June 19, 1971.
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Lee Trevino wears a marshal’s hat as he plays in the rough with a hatchet and…
Lee Trevino wears a marshal’s hat as he plays in the rough with a hatchet and rubber snake during a practice round before the U.S. Open starts at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. on June 16, 1971.
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Lee Trevino reacts after defeating Jack Nicklaus in an 18-hole extra round play to win the…
Lee Trevino reacts after defeating Jack Nicklaus in an 18-hole extra round play to win the U.S. Open Golf Championship title at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., on June 22, 1971.
1968 U.S. Open
Lee Trevino during the 1968 U.S. Open at Oak Hill.
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Lee Trevino jubilates after he sank a birdie putt on the 12th green during the playoff…
Lee Trevino jubilates after he sank a birdie putt on the 12th green during the playoff round of the U.S. Open Golf Championships, Monday June 21, 1971, in Ardmore, Pa.
1971 U.S. Open
Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino walk off the 18th green at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore,…
Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino walk off the 18th green at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, at the 1971 U.S. Open.
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Jack Nicklaus, left, walks off the 18th green at Pebble Beach with Lee Trevino, the man…
Jack Nicklaus, left, walks off the 18th green at Pebble Beach with Lee Trevino, the man he defeated as U.S. Open champion, moments after the final putt on June 18, 1972.
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First to congratulate Jack Nicklaus on his victory in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach was…
First to congratulate Jack Nicklaus on his victory in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach was the man he deposed, Lee Trevino, who won the 1971 title in an 18-hole playoff with Nicklaus, June 19, 1972. They’re walking off the 18th green after Nicklaus captured the title by three strokes with a two-over-par 290 total.
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Lee Trevino reacts to another birdie on the 380 yard par four 12th hole in the…
Lee Trevino reacts to another birdie on the 380 yard par four 12th hole in the final round of the 68th U.S. Open golf championship at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., June 16, 1968. Trevino won the tourney.
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Lee Trevino is congratulated by Bert Yancey on the 18th green after sinking his final putt…
Lee Trevino is congratulated by Bert Yancey on the 18th green after sinking his final putt for a 4 and a 69 to win the 68th U.S. Open golf championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., June 16, 1968. Yancey had been the leader for three rounds. It was Trevino’s fourth consecutive sub-par round.
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Lee Trevino holds his trophy cup after winning the title of the 68th U.S. Open golf…
Lee Trevino holds his trophy cup after winning the title of the 68th U.S. Open golf championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., June 16, 1968. His four sub-par rounds of 69-68-69-69 tied the U.S. Open record of 275.
1968 U.S. Open
Lee Trevino reacts to a birdie putt on the 11th hole in third round of the…
Lee Trevino reacts to a birdie putt on the 11th hole in third round of the 68th U.S. Open at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, on June 15, 1968. (Photo: Associated Press)
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Lee Trevino kisses the British Open Golf Championship cup after he won the title for the…
Lee Trevino kisses the British Open Golf Championship cup after he won the title for the second year running in Muirfield, Scotland, on Saturday, July 15, 1972.
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Lee Trevino sticks his tongue out at the ball as he misses a putt for a…
Lee Trevino sticks his tongue out at the ball as he misses a putt for a birdie on the second hole of the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship in Southampton, N.Y., June 14, 1986. Trevino saved par on the hole.
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Lee Trevino, winner of the 1968 open, clowns around on the 3rd fairway of the Country…
Lee Trevino, winner of the 1968 open, clowns around on the 3rd fairway of the Country Club course on Wednesday, June 15, 1988 in Brookline, Mass. during the final practice round for the upcoming U.S. Open.
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Lee Trevino hits a few balls after the conclusion of play at the Houston Greats of…
Lee Trevino hits a few balls after the conclusion of play at the Houston Greats of Golf Challenge..
1971 British Open
Lee Trevino shows off his trophy at the British Open at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.…
Lee Trevino shows off his trophy at the British Open at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. (Photo: Associated Press)
1984 PGA Championship
Lee Trevino hoists the trophy after winning the 1984 PGA Championship at the Shoal Creek Country…
Lee Trevino hoists the trophy after winning the 1984 PGA Championship at the Shoal Creek Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo: David Cannon/Allsport)
1971 U.S. Open
Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennslvania, for the 1971 U.S.…
Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennslvania, for the 1971 U.S. Open. (Photo: Associated Press)
1972 Piccadilly World Match Play Championship
Lee Trevino at the Piccadilly World Match Play Championship at the Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey,…
Lee Trevino at the Piccadilly World Match Play Championship at the Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey, England. (Photo: Ed Lacey/Popperfoto/Getty Images)
Skins Game
A plaque commemorating Lee Trevino’s hole-in-one in the 1987 Skins Game is viewable from near the…
A plaque commemorating Lee Trevino’s hole-in-one in the 1987 Skins Game is viewable from near the tee box of the 17th hole at PGA West in La Quinta. (Photo: Marilyn Chung/The Desert Sun)
1981 Ryder Cup
Dave Marr,Lee Trevino,Tom Kite, Bill Rogers, Larry Nelson, Ben Crenshaw, Bruce Lietzke,Jerry Pate, Hale Irwin, Johnny…
Dave Marr,Lee Trevino,Tom Kite, Bill Rogers, Larry Nelson, Ben Crenshaw, Bruce Lietzke,Jerry Pate, Hale Irwin, Johnny Miller,Tom Watson, Raymond Floyd and Jack Nicklaus of the United States team with the Ryder Cup trophy during the 24th Ryder Cup Matches on 27 September 1981 at Walton Heath Golf Club in Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey, England, 1981. (Photo by photographer Bob Martin/Getty Images)
PGA: PNC Championship – First Round
Lee Trevino bites into a ball during the first round of the PNC Championship golf tournament…
Lee Trevino bites into a ball during the first round of the PNC Championship golf tournament at Grande Lakes Orlando Course. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
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Vin Scully alongside Lee Trevino during an NBC telecast of the PGA Tour. (Photo: Jeff McBride/PGA…
Vin Scully alongside Lee Trevino during an NBC telecast of the PGA Tour. (Photo: Jeff McBride/PGA Tour Archive via Getty Images)
2022 Open Championship
Rory McIlroy, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods during the R&A Celebration of Champions four-hole…
Rory McIlroy, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods during the R&A Celebration of Champions four-hole challenge at the 150th Open Championship golf tournament at St. Andrews Old Course. (Photo by Rob Schumacher/USA TODAY Sports)
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Winner of The Open in 2014, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (L) England’s Georgia Hall (2nd L),…
Winner of The Open in 2014, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (L) England’s Georgia Hall (2nd L), Winner of The Open in 2000, 2005 and 2006, US golfer Tiger Woods (2nd R) and Winner of The Open in 1971 and 1972, US former golfer Lee Trevino (R) pose for a photograph on the Swilcan Bridge, on the 18th hole during The R&A Celebration of Champions, part of the build-up towards The 150th British Open Golf Championship on The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, on July 11, 2022. – The Open’s Champion Golfers, women’s Major Champions, male and female amateur Champions, and golfers with disability Champions compete in a four-hole challenge over the 1st, 2nd, 17th, and 18th holes of the Old Course. – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
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Lee Trevino, inducted 1981. (Photo: Adam Schupak/Golfweek)
1982 Masters
Lee Trevino watches putt at Augusta National Golf Course during the 1982 Masters. Mandatory Credit: File…
Lee Trevino watches putt at Augusta National Golf Course during the 1982 Masters. Mandatory Credit: File Photo -The Augusta Chronicle via USA TODAY NETWORK
1982 Masters Tournament
Seve Ballesteros, Lee Trevino and Gary Player at Augusta National Golf Course during the 1982 Masters.…
Seve Ballesteros, Lee Trevino and Gary Player at Augusta National Golf Course during the 1982 Masters. Mandatory Credit: File Photo -The Augusta Chronicle via USA TODAY NETWORK
1976 Masters Tournament
Lee Trevino at the Augusta National Golf Course during the 1976 Masters. (Photo: The Augusta Chronicle…
Lee Trevino at the Augusta National Golf Course during the 1976 Masters. (Photo: The Augusta Chronicle via USA TODAY)
1976 Masters Tournament
Lee Trevino signs autographs at the Augusta National Golf Club during the 1976 Masters. (Photo: The…
Lee Trevino signs autographs at the Augusta National Golf Club during the 1976 Masters. (Photo: The Augusta Chronicle via USA TODAY)
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Lee Trevino during the 1973 PGA Tour season. (Photo: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY)
1961 Los Angeles Open
Lee Trevino at the 1961 Los Angeles Open at Rancho Golf Course. (Photo: Darryl Norenberg-USA TODAY)
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Lee Trevino and Raymond Floyd on Saturday at the PNC Father/Son Challenge at The Ritz Carlton…
Lee Trevino and Raymond Floyd on Saturday at the PNC Father/Son Challenge at The Ritz Carlton Golf Club of Orlando.
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Lee Trevino at the Yamaha booth during the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.
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Lee Trevino on Saturday at the PNC Father/Son Challenge at The Ritz Carlton Golf Club of…
Lee Trevino on Saturday at the PNC Father/Son Challenge at The Ritz Carlton Golf Club of Orlando.
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Lee Trevino on Saturday at the PNC Father/Son Challenge at The Ritz Carlton Golf Club of…
Lee Trevino on Saturday at the PNC Father/Son Challenge at The Ritz Carlton Golf Club of Orlando.
SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio At 2016 PGA Merchandise Show – Day 1
2022 PNC Championship
Lee Trevino (right) and Gary Player entertain the gallery with antics of the past on the…
Lee Trevino (right) and Gary Player entertain the gallery with antics of the past on the first tee box during the first round of the PNC Championship golf tournament at Ritz Carlton Golf Club Grande Lakes Orlando Course. (Photo: Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports)
2022 Open Championship
Tiger Woods and Lee Trevino during the R&A Celebration of Champions four-hole challenge at the 150th…
Tiger Woods and Lee Trevino during the R&A Celebration of Champions four-hole challenge at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews Old Course. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 Open Championship
Lee Trevino (left) and Rory McIlroy shake hands on the 18th green during the Celebration of…
Lee Trevino (left) and Rory McIlroy shake hands on the 18th green during the Celebration of Champions at the 150th Open Championship golf tournament at St. Andrews Old Course. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)
