Trevino didn't wait. The Merry Mexican birdied the 1st hole to tie Beamon. He birdied 2 to take the lead and when Beamon 3 putted the numbers four and six, Trevino went three up. He had a 32 on the Front, 9 Trevino, part 18 to preserve a one stroke victory over Beeman. So 50 years ago, Lee Trevino won the Saint Louis Open at Norwood Hills beating future PGA Tour commissioner Dean Beeman on Thursday at Norwood Hills Country Club. He was back the Ascension Charity Classic held their legends luncheon with Lee and Nancy Lopez. Lee Trevino, who will be here for the Ascension Charity Classic celebrity match in September, is tonight's Cardinal Buick Sunday conversation. I want to ask you about the best 20 day period, maybe in golf history. Yeah, U.S. Open. You beat Nicholas in the playoff Canadian Open and then the Open Championship. Describe those moments well at the time I I was playing extremely well. In other words, I. I got on a hot putting streak all of a sudden I fell into it and I started making pots and I went in to the playoff. In 1971 with Nicholas and I beat him in the playoffs, gave me a tremendous amount of confidence. I'll go into the Canadian Open, so I went. I went there in the playoff. Also with art wall. And then I went from there to to to the British Open to to went to Southport, and we played Birkdale. And and I won the open there. So yeah, 11. The three in a row. I mean, it was like the beer tasted the same. It didn't make any. So there's guys at the top of their sports. And then there's guys who transcend the sport you transcended the sport. SI sportsman of the year ABC Wide World of Sports Sportsman of the Year. And it was not only because you're golf, but because of your personality. You had an act and everybody ate it up. Can you describe what that was like back then? Well, it doesn't make any difference. What kind of personality do you have if you can't play? You understand, you know that helped, so even even if if if I didn't have the personality, I think I would have won those other two awards anyway because of my record, but. It's great to be recognized and and and it there's some self satisfaction because of the hard work that you put in. You know everyone's got a talent somewhere along the line. What most of the people, probably half the people in the world are doing, jobs they don't like? They'd like to be doing something else, but they're afraid to jump. You gotta find your niche. You gotta do what you think you want to do and then once you get a chance to do that then you have to put the time in to be successful. The problem is people don't put the time in, they jump on a job and then they say oh, I'm not going to like this instead of really getting in there and figuring out how to do this. But yeah, to tell you the truth, I might sound crazy, but it was easy for me. It it it. It wasn't hard. It just wasn't hard at it. The the game fell in easy for me. I tried to hit a shot, I'd hit it. I don't know where it came from. I have no clue and you're not a good sleeper because, well, I tell people I'm not a good sleeper simply because I can't wait to get up in the morning just to hear what I have to say. I mean, I'm my mouth is going all the time. You know I drive my wife crazy, you know, struck by lightning in 1975 at the Western Open, but you made this remarkable comeback. How do you remember that funny thing about it is we were? Playing the week before, and Madina, which is just about 15 miles away in the US Open. 2 tournaments and two weeks there. And it started lightning and I'm on the first tee and they tried to get me to go in the clubhouse and I wouldn't do it because the gallery was there by themselves. And I said, don't worry about it. I'll protect these people. I said if it starts lightning I said I'm gonna hold A1 iron up because not even God can hit a one arm. And then the next week they got hit by lightning on a Friday. I think it was Friday the 13th and I ended up in intensive care for a couple of days and tore my body up a little bit. But I was back in about 6 weeks and I won the Canadian opening in 76 after that. Yeah, a year later I won. The reason you never went into locker rooms. Why it's too far to walk? You wasted steps. That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen. If you park your car there in the driving range is right there. Why the hell do you want to walk in the locker room? Put a pair of shoes on. Crazy. I'm gonna put them on in the back of the car and walk right to the Rangers. Start hitting the ball. They no reason to go in there. And now Frank I'll run into you if I'm in there and got to talk to you. So you're wasting my time. I could be hitting balls. And describe the competition high in your 92 professional wins. Why was it so intoxicating? When you tear it up, you try to win every time. Doesn't happen every time. I mean, if you really look. Statistically. We play the only sport that you lose all the time. Yeah, you know, if if if you only lose 98% of the time you've had a hell of a year. Never looked at it. Think of that. Yeah, you think of that you had a hell of a year now if you lose 98% of time on anything else you'll start today. Finally, how would you sum up your life in golf? I it it's a very difficult thing to sum up simply because. I wasn't supposed to play it. There's no way that. A little guy that came from where I came from. To accomplish what I accomplished in golf. Is not supposed to be done. I don't know what happened. The good Lord gave me a hell of a lot of talent. And that's why I still. I'm at it every day because at 83 years old almost. I'm gonna see him pretty soon. And I don't want him to be disappointed.
