Lee Trevino on Staying Active and Taking Jack Over Tiger Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Close

Lee Trevino Is Still Taking His Swings

50 years after a stirring ​British Open win ​ the golf legend talks about staying in the game

Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo

You grew up poor on a cotton farm in Texas Who encouraged you to escape br

No one. I raised myself. I was just lucky. The good Lord watched over me. When I see him, I want to hear him say, “I gave you a lot of talent, and you took advantage of it.” Even if you are not dealt the best cards, you can still win the hand. I did a lot of bluffing along the way. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Talk about joining the Marines

It took a poor kid off a farm — he was probably going to be there the rest of his life. The Marine Corps gave me knowledge of the world. I went to Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines. It gave me an education. You could go to West Point and not learn what I did.

Who helped you the most personally

The greatest thing that ever happened to me was my [third wife, Claudia]. I can honestly say you wouldn’t be talking to me if I wouldn’t have married her. She is the first person I have ever been around who wasn’t a yes-man. The worst thing for an athlete to do is surround yourself with yes-people. She said from day one, “Words have consequences.” After 38 years, she treats me the same as [on] our first date. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers >

You knew Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods Who was the better golfer in his prime

I don’t think Tiger could’ve handled Jack [if both were using] today’s equipment. Both are extremely talented golfers — very dedicated. Jack was a lot stronger than Tiger — he would have hit the ball so much farther than Tiger. In his day, Jack could hit the ball more than 300 yards with the old equipment. Today, he would have been chipping back on the par 4s.

What can we do to encourage more minority participation in golf

I started on the PGA Tour in 1967, and we had almost two dozen Hispanics and Blacks. It’s not going the way we would like it. Golf is extremely expensive. We have to find a way to make it affordable for young people. Price is never going to bother the white-​collar guy. The PGA Tour and USGA have junior programs for kids to learn how to play, but the problem is the cost — even on public courses. When I started caddying in ’48, you could play a public course for $1.50. ​

How did golf treat your body

I got hit by lightning in 1975. I lost discs in my back, ruptured ligaments in a thumb. I have a steel plate in my throat because I ruptured six discs in my neck. I have two steel rollers in my back. You live with pain. Regardless of how I feel, I don’t have to go too far to find somebody that is a helluva lot worse off.

At 82 how do you stay physically active

Suppleness is number one. You have to be able to bend down and touch your toes. You have to be able to put your socks on. You have to . Ride a a little bit. . I don’t have a La-Z-Boy in the house. Why? Because I would sit in the damn thing and never move.

What keeps you mentally sharp

I stay away from people! If you are in a crowd, there is a tremendous amount of negativism. Many of them don’t have a clue as to what they’re talking about. I talk a lot, too, but I absorb what people are saying. Some people just make up stuff so they will sound better. —Interview by Jon Saraceno More on entertainment AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS