Lee Trevino as many of you who have listened to my radio show Fairways, or read my scribblings over all these years know Trevino is or was my favourite player. As complex a guy as he was, when he teed it off he turned it on and was one of those guys you'd pay to see. Others off the top of my head.. Mohammad Ali, Georgie Best, Barry Sanders, John McEnroe, Pele, Barry John, Pete Maravich, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Red Rum, Northern Dancer, Secretariat, Bobby Orr, Mickey Mantle.. on and on..
They were electric entertainers with uncommon athletic ability, able to perform under acute pressure on the biggest stage because they were so good, and had complete belief in their ability.
When Trevino went to the Senior Tour I only covered the rest because of work, it was by far the most entertaining golf every weekend, since Arnie and Jack were also there along with a great supporting cast.
All that said, I couldn't disagree more with his recent Dallas interview where he says Tiger should re-join Butch Harmon.
Sean Foley, never asked to be Tiger's coach Tiger sought him out. Sean has taken Tiger, from a reclusive, broken man, the world's greatest golfer who only wanted to survive the most scrutinized and humiliating marital break up and become a better father first, man second, husband third and golfer somewhere a distant 5th... to the guy who is now in possession of a game that has had him winning his Chevron Challenge as limited as that field was, to the final pairing in a world class field in Abu Dhabi, to the penultimate paring at Pebble last week..
Yes he stumbles at both, yes he hates putting at Pebble's poa ana, yes he didn't beat Robert Rock, but nobody can deny he is well on his way back, can they ??
I agree with Lee, they know he can be beat, he can't trust his driver, never could though, and he doesn't trust what he is doing yet for sure although he believes he is on the right track, thanks to Sean.
Here is part of Lee's interview with ESPN Dallas 103.3 written in the Dallas Star
Hall of Fame golfer Lee Trevino has some advice for Tiger Woods: Become a student of Butch Harmon again.
"I would call a realtor in Henderson, Nevada, and I'd find out where Butch lived and I'd buy the house next door," said Trevino, appearing on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Galloway & Company on Monday afternoon. "I'd go over and ring the doorbell and say, 'Hi, neighbor,' and get back with Butch. That's exactly what I would do."
Harmon is currently Phil Mickelson's teacher and a former instructor for Woods. Harmon worked with Woods from 1996, when he won his third U.S. Amateur Championship, until August 2002. Woods won eight majors and played some of his most dominating golf under Harmon's watchful eye, including his 15-stroke victory at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2000.
Trevino, who won six majors on the PGA Tour in his career, said he believes both Woods and Harmon should "bury the hatchet" and work with each other. Woods has worked with teacher Hank Haney after his departure with Harmon and is now with Sean Foley.
"I'm sure there's bad blood there, at least that's what I've heard," Trevino said. "I haven't talked to Butch in years, so I don't know how he feels with Tiger and I don't know if Tiger is too proud to ask for the help and if he asked for help if Butch would give it to him. But I think they speak to each other when they see each other at tournaments. If they do that, I don't see why two grown people can't sit down. He's all messed up right now."
Trevino said Woods isn't as intimidating to fellow golfers as he used to be.
"I think they know he can be had now," Trevino said. "They know. You know whether the guy is playing well or not. You can tell by his demeanor and the way he's walking around. Now he's talking to everybody. Before, he was more focused on what he was going to do and how he was going to do it."
Still, Trevino sees Woods' game improving and believes he's a threat at Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters, the first major of the season, in April.
"He's going to be someone to reckon with at Augusta," Trevino said. "I think he's really pointing to Augusta. I can see to where he is making some progress. He's putting some good rounds together, at least three rounds, and then Sundays he's not coming through. The spanking that he got yesterday, with him not hitting it very well and then Mickelson playing extremely well -- when you shoot 64, especially at Pebble, you've really walked the walk there -- Tiger will be back on the practice tee."
Trevino said Woods "doesn't trust what he's doing yet."
"He can't drive the ball," Trevino said. "That's the problem. He doesn't stay down long enough on the ball. Augusta would be the only one he has a shot at winning if he drives it poorly. He's not going to win the U.S. Open or PGA because there's too much rough."
Tiger is in great hands with Sean Foley as his recent results have shown, not just in golf bur in matters of life which are more important in the long run to Tiger and his kids..
Love you Lee, but given time, Sean, not Butch or Hank or David has this under control..
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles
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