Lee Trevino - A Year And A Career To Remember

Coming off a 13-month winless stretch, Trevino's breakthrough came between April and July 1971, during which time he won six tournaments. He won the U.S. Open, Canadian Open, and British Open championships in sucession within a 23-day period. In a thrilling finish that remains one of the highlights of his career, Trevino won his second U.S. Open championship in four years by beating legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus by three strokes in a playoff round. Although an acute case of appendicitis requiring emergency surgery slowed Trevino during the second half of the 1971 season, he received numerous awards, including Golf's PGA Player of the Year, Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, and the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.

By the time he retired from the PGA Tour in 1984, Trevino had won 29 PGA tournaments along with an array of international and special events. His six major titles included his two U.S. Open titles in 1968 and 1971, the British Open title in 1971 and 1972, and the PGA Championship in 1974 and 1984. Suffering from chronic back problems, brought on by being struck by lightening in 1975, Trevino retired from the PGA Tour in 1984 and spent some time in the broadcasting booth for NBC Sports.