Trevino: Still the Merry Mex

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

He is 69 years old now, but Lee Trevino still has it. He was popularly known as the ‘Merry Mex,’ and that imagery still works.

He is in Newport Beach this week to play in the Champions Tour event at the Newport Beach Country Club, the Toshiba Classic. He still plays occasionally, seldom wins anymore, but remains a huge draw.

As he should be, after winning 12 major titles, six on the PGA Tour and six more in the senior events.

The Toshiba event always holds a kickoff breakfast Tuesday morning, and this year’s, sponsored by the Allergan Foundation, got Trevino to speak. Better said, got him to tell stories.

‘I know the economy is bad,’ he opened, ‘but to have this many people [500] is ridiculous, just to get a free breakfast. I didn’t get served. They thought I was the help.’

He talked about how he once supported himself, hustling golfers on a par-three course in Texas by playing them with a Dr. Pepper bottle.

‘Those things had thick glass,’ he said. ‘I practiced all the time. We played on a course where the longest hole was 122 yards and I could hit that Dr. Pepper bottle 122. I’d putt between my legs, croquet style. Called that ‘two over.’ ‘

He laughed about all the times he reads about the potential of this player or that.

‘You know what the definition is of somebody with potential?’ he said. ‘That means he hasn’t done anything yet.’

He talked about some of the silly decisions made in golf these days by administrative people who should know better. ‘These people have college degrees, but never passed a class in common sense,’ he said.

One of his examples was the decision a few years ago, since reversed, by Bob Hope Chrysler Classic officials to build a home course in a wind tunnel near the freeway in Palm Desert.

‘People didn’t want to go there and get sandblasted,’ he said.

He told the story of how he met fellow touring pro Raymond Floyd, when Floyd was on the tour and Trevino was working as a clubhouse attendant at a course in Texas. One of Trevino’s friends had told Floyd there was a Mexican guy down at this club who was as good as the pros, and Floyd took the challenge to go play him.

‘He shows up with this huge white bag,’ Trevino said. ‘Never saw a bag that big, or that full of stuff. So I get the bag all cleaned out -- that was my job -- and he’s kind of standing around and he asks who he is playing. I say me, and he says, ‘I come all this way and I’m playing the locker room guy?’ ‘

Trevino shot 65, Floyd 67.

‘We finish and he says he wants to play an emergency nine holes,’ Trevino said. ‘I told him I couldn’t do that. I had to put the carts away. That was my job too.’

Trevino said they played three times and Floyd won the third time by eagling the last hole.

‘He picked up his bag, headed out the door and told the guy with him, ‘I’m going back on the tour. Easier guys to play there.’ ‘

Trevino said he and Floyd remain great friends to this day, even when he tells that story.

Trevino said his chatty style wasn’t always appreciated on the tour.

‘I was playing in the final group one time with Tony Jacklin,’ Trevino said. ‘Before we start, he comes up to me and says, ‘If you don’t mind, I don’t want to do a lot of talking today.’ ‘

‘I told him fine, just listen.’

-- Bill Dwyre