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Lee Trevino

United States · born , Dallas, Texas, USA

6major championships

Summary

  • First major 1968 U.S. Open
  • Last major 1984 PGA Championship
  • Ryder Cup 6 Cups · 17-7-6 · 20 points (66.7%)
  • Ryder Cup captain 1985
  • Runner-up in majors 2 times

Wins

  1. 1968 U.S. Open Oak Hill C.C. · 275 (-5) · by 4 strokes from Jack Nicklaus
  2. 1971 U.S. Open Merion G.C. · 280 (E) · won a playoff against Jack Nicklaus
  3. 1971 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · 278 (-14) · by 1 stroke from Lu Liang-Huan
  4. 1972 The Open Muirfield · 278 (-6) · by 1 stroke from Jack Nicklaus
  5. 1974 PGA Championship Tanglewood Park (Championship Course) · 276 (-4) · by 1 stroke from Jack Nicklaus
  6. 1984 PGA Championship Shoal Creek · 273 (-15) · by 4 strokes from Lanny Wadkins and Gary Player

Near misses

  1. 1970 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T3 · 285 (-3)
  2. 1973 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T10 · 289 (+1)
  3. 1977 The Open Turnberry (Ailsa Course) · finished 4 · 280 (E)
  4. 1980 The Open Muirfield · runner-up to Tom Watson · 275
  5. 1983 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished 5 · 278 (-6)
  6. 1985 PGA Championship Cherry Hills Country Club · runner-up to Hubert Green · 280

Ryder Cup

6 Cups, 30 matches: 17 won, 7 lost, 6 halved, 20 points. Foursomes 5-3-2, four-ball 6-2-2, singles 6-2-2.

  1. 1969 Royal Birkdale Golf Club USA · tied 16–16 · 3-2-1, 3.5 points
  2. 1971 Old Warson Country Club USA · USA won 18.5–13.5 · 3-1-1, 3.5 points
  3. 1973 Muirfield USA · USA won 19–13 · 3-1-2, 4 points
  4. 1975 Laurel Valley Golf Club USA · USA won 21–11 · 2-2-1, 2.5 points
  5. 1979 The Greenbrier (Greenbrier Course) USA · USA won 17–11 · 2-1-1, 2.5 points · automatic
  6. 1981 Walton Heath Golf Club USA · USA won 18.5–9.5 · 4-0-0, 4 points · automatic
  7. 1985 Captain USA · lost 11.5–16.5

Rivals

Beat him

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Tom Watson's rivals →

Moments

  1. 1971 Open Trevino went out in 31 to lead by six at the turn, then made a double-bogey 7 at the 17th (71st hole), which cut his lead to one.
  2. 1971 Open At the 18th Lu's second shot hit a woman spectator on the head. Both Lu and Trevino birdied the last, and Lu finished second.
  3. 1972 Open At the par-5 17th in the final round, Trevino was off the green in four and chipped in for a par. Jacklin then three-putted for bogey and lost the lead.
  4. 1972 Open Nicklaus, chasing a third straight major of 1972, closed with a 66 to post 279 and finished one short.
  5. 1974 PGA Championship Lee Trevino, putting poorly, found an old putter in the attic of his rental house and used it to win by one stroke.
  6. 1974 PGA Championship Both Trevino and Nicklaus closed with 69, leaving Nicklaus runner-up to Trevino in a major for the fourth time.
  7. 1984 PGA Championship Gary Player, 48, shot a second-round 63, tying the tournament and major scoring record.
  8. 1984 PGA Championship Lee Trevino, 44, became the first PGA champion with four rounds under 70, and his 273 (−15) was then the lowest winning score in tournament history relative to par.
  9. 1971 Ryder Cup Lee Trevino beat Brian Huggett 7 & 6, then tying the record margin for an 18-hole singles match.

Records and firsts

  1. 1984 PGA Championship Oldest PGA champions: 44 years 8 months 18 days

Results by championship

    Best day

    1984 PGA Championship

    Shoal Creek, Birmingham, Alabama · 273 (-15) · by 4 strokes from Lanny Wadkins and Gary Player

    Gary Player, 48, shot a second-round 63, tying the tournament and major scoring record.

    Lee Trevino, 44, became the first PGA champion with four rounds under 70, and his 273 (−15) was then the lowest winning score in tournament history relative to par.

    Record: 44 years 8 months 18 days

    Chosen by rule: the major win our record tables single out. Year page: 1984.

    Career line, 1968–1985

    PGA Championship
    1974 PGA Championship: won1984 PGA Championship: won1985 PGA Championship: runner-up to Hubert Green
    U.S. Open
    1968 U.S. Open: won1971 U.S. Open: won
    The Open
    1970 The Open: finished T31971 The Open: won1972 The Open: won1973 The Open: finished T101977 The Open: finished 41980 The Open: runner-up to Tom Watson1983 The Open: finished 5
    Ryder Cup
    1969 Ryder Cup (USA): 3-2-11971 Ryder Cup (USA): 3-1-11973 Ryder Cup (USA): 3-1-21975 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-2-11979 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-1-11981 Ryder Cup (USA): 4-0-0
    1970197519801985

    18 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Runner-up
    • Top 10
    • Ryder Cup, USA

    Lee Trevino was born on December 1, 1939, in Dallas, Texas, USA. Trevino won 6 major championships: 2 PGA Championships (1974, 1984), 2 U.S. Opens (1968, 1971) and 2 Open Championships (1971, 1972). Trevino played in 6 Ryder Cups for USA (1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1981), winning 17, losing 7 and halving 6 of 30 matches for 20 points, and captained the side in 1985.

    See Lee Trevino in our rooms: U.S. Open, The Open, Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (6)

    1. 1968 U.S. Open Oak Hill C.C., Rochester, NY · 275 (-5) · by 4 strokes from Jack Nicklaus
    2. 1971 U.S. Open Merion G.C., Ardmore, PA · 280 (E) · won a playoff against Jack Nicklaus (18 holes, 68–71)
    3. 1971 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · 278 (-14) · by 1 stroke from Lu Liang-Huan
    4. 1972 The Open Muirfield · 278 (-6) · by 1 stroke from Jack Nicklaus
    5. 1974 PGA Championship Tanglewood Park (Championship Course), Winston-Salem, North Carolina · 276 (-4) · by 1 stroke from Jack Nicklaus
    6. 1984 PGA Championship Shoal Creek, Birmingham, Alabama · 273 (-15) · by 4 strokes from Lanny Wadkins and Gary Player

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1970 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T3 · 285 (-3)
    2. 1973 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T10 · 289 (+1)
    3. 1977 The Open Turnberry (Ailsa Course) · finished 4 · 280 (E)
    4. 1980 The Open Muirfield · runner-up to Tom Watson · 275
    5. 1983 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished 5 · 278 (-6)
    6. 1985 PGA Championship Cherry Hills Country Club · runner-up to Hubert Green · 280

    U.S. Open top-10 finishes in his career: 8 (GNN U.S. Open room data).

    Ryder Cup

    Trevino played 6 Ryder Cups for USA: 30 matches, 17 won, 7 lost, 6 halved, 20 points (66.7% of those available). By format: foursomes 5-3-2, four-ball 6-2-2, singles 6-2-2 (won-lost-halved).

    1. 1969 Royal Birkdale Golf Club USA · tied 16–16 · 3-2-1, 3.5 points
    2. 1971 Old Warson Country Club USA · USA won 18.5–13.5 · 3-1-1, 3.5 points
    3. 1973 Muirfield USA · USA won 19–13 · 3-1-2, 4 points
    4. 1975 Laurel Valley Golf Club USA · USA won 21–11 · 2-2-1, 2.5 points
    5. 1979 The Greenbrier (Greenbrier Course) USA · USA won 17–11 · 2-1-1, 2.5 points · automatic
    6. 1981 Walton Heath Golf Club USA · USA won 18.5–9.5 · 4-0-0, 4 points · automatic
    7. 1985 Captain USA · lost 11.5–16.5

    Partners, with matches played together: Billy Casper (3), Gene Littler (2), Mason Rudolph (2), Homero Blancas (2), Fuzzy Zoeller (2), Jerry Pate (2), Ken Still (1), Miller Barber (1), J. C. Snead (1), Hale Irwin (1), Bob Murphy (1), Gil Morgan (1), Larry Nelson (1).

    Records and firsts

    Rows from our record tables that name this player, worded as the tables word them.

    1. 1984 PGA Championship Oldest PGA champions: 44 years 8 months 18 days

    Sources

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. where2golf
    2. Golf Compendium PGA Tour career wins
    3. Golf Compendium winners list
    4. WP: List of American Ryder Cup golfers
    5. rydercup.com — link no longer works (checked October 17, 2026): https://rydercup.com/news-media/usa/ryder-cup-team-usa-past-captains
    6. Golf Compendium
    7. GNN U.S. Open room (champions data)
    8. R&A 1971
    9. GC 1971
    10. R&A 1972
    11. GC 1972
    12. Golf Compendium 1974
    13. PGA of America 2012 media guide
    14. The Golf News Net history table (2026)
    15. Today's Golfer purse history
    16. PGA of America 1974 leaderboard
    17. Golf Monthly, club pros at the PGA
    18. PGA of America 2013 media guide, p. 56
    19. Golf Compendium 1984
    20. PGA of America 1984 leaderboard
    21. PGA of America club pros who made the cut
    22. Caddie Hall of Fame, Herman Mitchell
    23. R&A 1970
    24. R&A 1973
    25. R&A 1977
    26. R&A 1983
    27. GC: 1969 ryder cup
    28. WP 1969
    29. GC: 1971 ryder cup
    30. WP 1971
    31. GC: 1973 ryder cup
    32. WP 1973
    33. GC: 1975 ryder cup
    34. WP 1975
    35. GC: 1979 ryder cup
    36. Wikipedia: 1979 Ryder Cup
    37. GC: 1981 ryder cup
    38. Wikipedia: 1981 Ryder Cup