Lee Trevino's clever way of keeping Jack Nicklaus away from senior events after they both turned 50

Lee Trevino is 1 of golf’s awesome storytellers.

Trevino is astatine Pleasant Valley Country Club successful Little Rock, Arkansas, wherever he’s playing successful nan pro-am up of nan Simmons Bank Championship connected nan PGA Tour Champions. He besides spent immoderate clip pinch nan media and rolled done a fewer of stories, including 1 astir joining nan then-Senior PGA Tour successful 1990.

“I’ll show you a existent speedy story. I was waiting to get retired location and they were benignant of waiting for maine to get retired location because [Jack] Nicklaus and I were some turning 50 astir nan aforesaid time, moreover though Jack, Jack ne'er played a batch of tournaments. I don’t deliberation he ever played much than six aliases 8 tournaments successful 1 year,” Trevino said. “As a matter of fact, erstwhile I realized that I was turning 50 that December and that I was going to spell connected nan Champions Tour, and Nicklaus was turning 50 connected January 20th aliases 21st and he was coming retired to play pinch me, I really talked to Nicklaus’ head and nan wife, Nicklaus’ wife. You tin inquire Barbara. I told Barbara, I said, ‘Listen, for each tourney that I enter, if you support Jack astatine home, I will nonstop you a twelve roses.’ That twelvemonth I played 38 tournaments and I sent Barbara Nicklaus 30 twelve roses because she kept him location 30 of nan tournaments. I was starring money victor that year.”

Trevino won $1,190,518 cardinal successful 1990. He noted that was much than nan $1,165,477 that Greg Norman earned arsenic nan starring money victor connected nan PGA Tour that aforesaid year.

“You tin look it up,” he said. “I won much money than Norman. Norman was nan starring money victor connected nan regular circuit and I was nan starring money victor connected nan Champions Tour, but I played 38 tournaments that year, yeah.”

Photos: Lee Trevino done nan years

Trevino’s first sponsorship was pinch Dr. Pepper, not a play nine company

Trevino played successful nan era earlier immense purses that PGA Tour pros coming enjoy.

“Back successful my day, I played, I chased nan dollar people simply because we didn’t person that overmuch arsenic acold arsenic prize money was concerned,” he said. “If you look astatine nan record, successful 1971, I won 7 tournaments and past I vanished precocious successful a batch of tournaments and I won a full of $153,000. That was erstwhile you won a tourney backmost then, a regular tournament, you won 20 percent of nan purse, which mostly was $100,000.”

He past went connected to talk astir not having immoderate deals pinch nan play nine manufacturers.

“I deliberation I would person a batch of problem playing an instrumentality company. I deliberation I would effort ’em each and conscionable play whatever’s best. So I mightiness person a 3-wood that I tin deed that personification other makes, aliases a driver, irons. I retrieve erstwhile I started nan Tour, I had 7 different makes successful my bag. I didn’t person a complete group of clubs, but I didn’t person a statement pinch anybody.”

Trevino still goes to nan play people each day

Trevino, 85, says he still visits his section nine 7 days a week.

“I spell to nan play people 7 days a week. I get location astir 10. I’ll spot a small bit, putt a small bit. I’ll deed 5 balls pinch each nine successful my bag, past I’ll spell home. I usually get location astir 11:30. So I’ve sewage nan full time to do nothing, that’s nan full thing.”