Lee Trevino
Lee Trevino (born December 1, 1939) is a professional American golfer.
Lee Trevino is just one of many current influential Mexican Americans who has shown how it is possible to grow from poverty, established by his Mexican roots, to be an influential icon for all Mexican Americans.
Lee Buck Trevino was born in Dallas, Texas in poverty to parents of Mexican descent. His mother and grandfather, a gravedigger raised Lee. He never knew his father. Lee's childhood amounted to him spending time attending school occasionally and working to help earn money for the family. At the age of five, Lee even started working in the cotton fields.
Trevino was introduced to the game of golf when his uncle gave him a few old golf balls and a rusty golf club. From this point on, Lee could not get enough. He spent most of his free time sneaking onto nearby country clubs to practice his newly found activity. At eight years old he began caddying at a local golf course. However, a few years later, caddying became a full time job because he needed to earn enough money to survive. Thus, after eighth grade, Lee had to leave school in order to go to work. In the end, this did not turn out that bad. As a caddy and a shoe shiner, Lee worked for 30 dollars a week. On top of this, Lee was also able to make priceless gains in his golfing ability. This was because the caddies had three short practice holes behind their shack, and it was there, with old, discarded clubs, that Trevino learned to improve his golf game. For years, everyday after work, he would work on improving his skills by hitting a least 300 balls a session. At seventeen, Trevino join the United States Marine Corps and served four years. Over the last eighteen months in the service, a great deal of his time was spent playing golf with Marine Corps officers.
After his discharge, Trevino continued his pursuit of the game. In 1967, he began playing on the PGA Tour. In 1968 at the Oak Hill Country Club (Rochester, New York) a large goal was reached when he won the U.S. Open Golf Championship. From here on there was no looking back. Over the course of his career, Trevino has won 29 tournaments, including five majors. When he retired in 1985, he was the third highest in earnings in the history of the sport. He currently plays on the Champions Tour, formerly known as the Senior PGA TOUR. And in 1971 he was awarded the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year and Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award.
Overall as a pro golfer, Lee has had tremendous success making him a very rich man. However, with this success he has not forgot his upbringing. He has established numerous scholarships and continues to offer assistance to many Mexican Americans who are less fortunate.
For additional information:
Hoobler, Dorothy and Thomas. The Mexican American Family Album. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
