Page 82 - Golf World (February 2020)

TREVINO’S

BIG

MISTAKE

While Trevino’s Major clash with Augusta co- famous comment that,
thrills were glorious, his founder Clifford Roberts, had he not been invited
inability to win a Masters and a hatred of the strict as a player, his only
title remains a regret rules code he enforced route to the course
searedonhismemory. around the club. would have been
Trevino’s relationship Warming to this theme, through the kitchens.
with Augusta makes he recently described as In 1975, when he told
Donald Trump’s look “gutless” the Tour pros media he was changing
cordial. Though he who willingly obeyed his shoes in the car park
played the tournament those rules. and not the clubhouse
in 1968 and 1969, he It’s not hard to because it was nearer
signedoffbyannouncing imagine Roberts’ glacial the range, he was
“Don’t talk to me about conservatism clashing fooling nobody.
the Masters. They can with Trevino’s often However, in a dog-leg
invite me all they want, chippy brashness. But sharper than Augusta’s
but I’m not going back.” underneath these 13th, Trevino would later
Despite all this bluster, he comments, there has label his boycotts “The
only snubbed three always been a whiff of greatest mistake I’ve
tournaments – in 1970, something more made in my career”.
’71 and ’74. Trevino’s mephitic. In May 1970, Jack Nicklaus is often
distaste for the Masters shortly after his first credited with mellowing
was usually attributed to boycott, he announced: Super Mex’s stance,
the layout, and the “There are people up though his recent
plentiful right-to-left there in Augusta who revelations about
holes that welcomed haven’t gone along with Robertsimplythingsmay
creator Bobby Jones’ what is happening in life. have been different after
draw but shunned his “They choose their field Roberts’ suicide in 1977.
fade. In 1970 he added: the way they want to Or perhaps Trevino was
“Augusta is full of humps, and stay out of line. I will simply mollified by a
and guys like me who hit never play there until Masters Committee who
the ball low don’t like they make it an open – despite his doing
that kind of course.” tournament like we have everything possible to
In 2015, however, everywhere else.” get himself uninvited to
Trevino contradicted Trevino’s scarcely golf’s most exclusive
that, saying his problem veiled comments on party – continued to ask reclaim his money. “I’m sorry, I can’t, Mr Floyd. I
was never with the Augusta’s exclusivity him to come and play have to put in all the carts before
course but a personality continued with his every spring. dark,” Trevino truthfully told him.
With rounds of 65 and 64, Trevino won the first
twodaysofathree-dayrubber,onlylosingthethird
after narrowly missing an eagle putt on 18. He
gleefully gathered the bulk of the put-up cash.
Floyd, a mere three years away from his Major
breakthrough at the 1969 PGA, left Texas in that
lofty vehicle, high dudgeon. Despite the result, few
would have predicted that Trevino, still shining
shoes and earning $30 a week, would pip Floyd to
Major glory. Except that’s exactly what he did.
Toiling in obscurity, without a college scholarship
oramateurrecordtoprovehisworth,thechancesof
ever getting a PGA Tour card looked slim. But he
qualified for the 1966 US Open at Olympic and,
using a cobbled-together set that included seven
different brands, Trevino tied 54th, earning $600.
At 27, Trevino was embarking on his maiden
PGA Tour campaign at a relatively ripe old age,
which may explain why he wasted no time
whatsoever in aiming straight for the kingpin. He
ended the 1967 season as rookie of the year, having

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