Memories: Trevino still talks of putter in 1974

By: John Dell | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: October 05, 2009

Lee Trevino loves to talk about his 1974 PGA Championship victory at Tanglewood Park.

It was 35 years ago that Trevino bested Jack Nicklaus to win, but it was the putter that Trevino used that made for an unbelievable story.

Trevino had rented a house for the week and noticed a putter that was in the garage. Trevino picked it up and liked the feel of it.

Trevino asked the woman that he was renting the house from if he could borrow the putter.

"She had this Wilson Arnold Palmer putter and it was up above the garage, and I could see it through the door," Trevino said. "I could see the putter and it was gorgeous and I don't think it had been used hardly at all."

Trevino said that he can't recall the women's first name but that her last name was Mayberry, and she was reluctant to allow Trevino to use the putter because it was her late husband's putter.

"I still have that putter," Trevino said two weeks ago when he was playing at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn. "I asked her if the putter was for sale, and she said no. She was going to save it for her son if he decided to play golf. And I said, ‘OK, I understand.'"

She did allow Trevino to use the putter for the week, and the rest was history.

"I took it out there and I holed every putt," Trevino said. "She came over for dinner again on that Saturday night and I was leading the tournament and she looked at me and said, ‘If you win this tournament tomorrow, you can have that putter.'"

Trevino, 70, said that there's no way he would ever part with that putter. He's moved several times since that '74 PGA but has made sure that the putter comes with him.

Jack Rickard, 79, was Nicklaus' caddie during the PGA Championship and he remembered the story about Trevino's putter.

"I remember he made a short putt on 17 in the final round," Rickard said.

First Tee gets a boost

Several courses from around the area helped raise nearly $60,000 for the First Tee of the Triad.

Anne Marie Goslak, the executive director of the First Tee, said that Old Town won the competition for raising the most money.

"We are very thankful for the generosity of Old Town Club, Forsyth Country Club, Bermuda Run, Oak Valley and Tanglewood, who all participated," Goslak said. "In this difficult economic time, our new nonprofit is really struggling. This was a much-needed boost to assure that we can stay an active chapter."

Goslak said that $58,146 was raised.

The First Tee of the Triad is gearing up for the fall and hopes to expand into Greensboro by next spring. For more information, go to www.the

firstteetriad.org.

Around the green

Several local players fared well in the state's middle-school golf championships held last month at Badin Lake Golf Club. Eric Mitchell of Forsyth Country Day shot 69-73 to finish tied for second and Andrew Kennedy of Jefferson Middle shot 74-76 to finish eighth. In the girls division, defending champion Victoria Allred (76-84) of Jefferson Middle lost to Isabella Rusher of Salisbury in a playoff. ...

Tiger Woods' $10 million dollar payday for winning the FedEx Cup put his career earnings at more than $1 billion. According to Forbes magazine, Woods career earnings includes prize money, appearance fees, endorsement deals and golf-course design. Woods, 33, is just reaching his prime in pro golf. ...

Introducing Lanny Wadkins, a former star at Wake Forest, at the World Golf Hall of Fame induction next month will be Jim Nantz of CBS Sports. Nantz and Wadkins teamed up in the TV booth a few years back. Also part of the ceremony will be Seve Ballesteros, who is recovering from a brain tumor. He will send a video message to introduce Jose Maria Olazabal, who will also be inducted. ...

Jim Hyler of Raleigh has been nominated to serve a one-year term as the president of the USGA. As president, Hyler will lead the USGA's professional staff and nearly 1,400 volunteers. Hyler, who is in his sixth year as a member of the USGA Executive Committee, is a retired banking executive and a 1970 graduate of Virginia Tech.

jdell@wsjournal.com.

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