Lee Trevino interview: The Merry Mex explains why you *have* to work the ball

Lee Trevino was a very late bloomer. Didn’t pick up the game until he was 22. But maybe that’s why, at 85, the Merry Mex is still knocking it stiff.

THE SCENE: On the driving range at Mexico’s Punta Mita, filming an episode of GOLF.com’s ‘Warming Up.’

Dylan Dethier: What does golf mean to you these days? How much is it a part of your everyday life?

Lee Trevino: Well, it’s not what it used to be because I’m not competitive anymore. I’m too old. At 85 — most people are in the ground when they’re 85. But golf still means everything to me because this is what I did for a living. This has been my whole life. Every day we come out [hits crisp wedge shot] and we hope that we haven’t lost it. And it doesn’t make any difference because we’re not gonna play a competition, and there’s no reason to hit these balls every day. But this is what I’ve always done.

DD: Every shot so far is perfect contact. But do you wake up every day and wonder, Do I still have it?

LT: Oh no, no. The good Lord gave me a talent and he has not taken it away from me yet. The only problem I have with my game is my age; I don’t have enough speed. And you can’t hit a golf ball with no speed.

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DD: I mean, that shot almost hit the flagstick. The last one did too.

LT: [Grinning] I was aiming at the other flag.

DD: I don’t believe that.

LT: [Rakes another ball with his iron] Here, I’ll hit a little hook.

DD: Do you like to work the ball?

LT: Every golf shot you hit has to have a purpose, I don’t care what shot it is. And you’ve got to work the ball to the right, you’ve got to work the ball to the left. And the reason for that is simply because of the percentages. Say you’re working the ball from left to right: If you aim 20 feet left and it doesn’t work right, you’re 20 feet from the hole. If you work it 20 feet, you’re right next to the hole. If you work it 30 feet, you’re 10 feet from the hole. If you work it 40 feet, you’re 20 feet from the hole. But if you aim at the flag and block it 40 feet, you’re 40 feet from the hole. Watch this one.

DD: [Watching him hit a perfect fade] It’s just falling gently in that direction.

LT: Pros don’t hit bananas; pros hit fades. Oh hell, I pushed it.

DD: It’s maybe one foot from the hole! Do you ever look around at all the beautiful places you’ve traveled and think…

LT: They all look alike. I’ve been around the world 100 times. All I’ve ever seen was the golf course, the hotel and the airport. I’ve never seen anything else because I’m not interested in seeing anything else. I’m interested in golf. This is a 5-hybrid, okay? Watch, this is the same shot.

DD: Just a little fade directly at the orange flag?

LT: Doesn’t make any difference what club it is — same thought every time.

DD: You hit balls every single morning, is that right?

LT: Every day I hit balls for two hours. I don’t play much, though I did play last week — 54 holes. And I made 11 birdies.

DD: And what do you like to do when you go to the range? Work on different shots? Chat with people there?

LT: No, I don’t chat. I only do this when I have to. When I don’t have to, I don’t talk to anybody. I go out alone. I’m a loner and always been, but, well, I’m in the entertainment business. Now this is the driver. [Pummels driver.]

DD: Do you still impress yourself?

LT: It’s a piece of cake! The guys on Tour are lucky that I’m old. They wouldn’t be looking for another career because, well, I can’t take all of the money, but…

DD: Whose swing have you admired the most over the years?

LT: Well, I don’t get into swings, but if you watch a person practice you can tell how dangerous he is. Every shot that you hit has to have a purpose, and you have to practice the hard shots. You know the hardest shot in golf ? It’s when you get in the trees on the right and you can’t go down toward the flag. Now, how hard do you hit the ball to clear the rough here but then stop it before it gets into the rough [on the far side]? People will hit it too low and never make it out of the [first] rough, or they’ll hit it too hard and it goes in the [far] rough. That’s the hardest shot in golf besides a 60-yard bunker shot, so it’s something you have to practice. You can’t just go out on the range and hit golf balls. You have to have a purpose. You’ve got to change your grip. You’ve got to change ball position, change how far you are from the ball.

DD: At this point, how much are you thinking about needing to get in certain positions versus just feeling it naturally?

LT: I own this swing. I developed it. I don’t have to think about it.

DD: I know you’re friendly with Tiger, with Scottie Scheffler, with young golfers. Do you like passing on knowledge?

LT: Only if they want to listen. Look, everybody has their own golf swing. I never change a person’s golf swing. It’s like trying to teach a guy how to walk differently. It’s like trying to teach someone how to talk differently. You can’t do it. But you can change where his hands are. You can change his ball position. It makes all the difference.

DD: Anyone ever try to change your swing?

LT: [Laughing] Man, they looked at me and got the hell away from me. You got to understand, the question has always been who instructed me. I learned how to play in a pasture, in a field by myself. I didn’t start playing professionally until I was 27, almost 28. I was in the Marine Corps for four years. When I got out, I went to work on a construction crew, building a golf course, didn’t even play golf. I started playing when I was 22 years old. By the time I was 29, I’d won the U.S. Open.

DD: Do you love golf? Did you always?

LT: Well, I don’t know anything else. I’ve got no choice. I’m not an educated guy. I don’t have a trade. I found out that this particular game was the one that was going to get me off the farm, and so I just outworked everybody.