There is so much to admire about some of the greats of our game and Lee Trevino might be right up there in terms of the older players we adore the most.
While he’s often overlooked in conversations about the best ever golfer as players like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player often get a mention over him, Trevino is a great in his own right.
With six major championship wins to his name, Trevino is no fool. And when you add 29 PGA Tour wins to that major haul, it makes for a pretty impressive career.
Apart from Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which three players can the PGA Tour simply not afford to lose to LIV?
Trevino, of course, is still hitting balls to this day despite being 86 and he recently played in the PNC Championship.
And after holing out for an incredible eagle in the family friendly event, he went into a speech that should inspire players like Rory McIlroy.
Why Rory McIlroy can be inspired by Lee Trevino
We only need to look back at Rory McIlroy’s comments on Champions Tour golf to see why he can take inspiration from Trevino and co.
At the time, McIlroy insisted that he has no interest in playing senior tour golf.
“Absolutely not. Look, I’ve said a lot of absolutes in my time that I’ve walked back, but I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf. Something has gone terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50,” McIlroy conceded.
However, if we listen into Lee Trevino’s brilliant comments at the PNC recently, we can see a different perspective and one which, in theory, should drive McIlroy on.
“I eat it, I sleep it, I walk it, and I talk it,” Trevino said as part of an epic monologue on how he loves the sport of golf.
“I would live on a driving range today if you put a bed and a tent on a driving range, I would sleep there. And if I got up at midnight, I would put a candle on and hit low wedge shots somewhere.
“I mean, I love this sport. I love it. I owe it everything that I have.”
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Rory McIlroy should play at least a year of senior golf
McIlroy’s comments on needing to compete over 50 and something having gone wrong if he needs to are interesting.
It suggests he sees this as a job and ultimately, him competing means he makes more money from said job and in a way, means he doesn’t need to keep playing beyond a certain age.
Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau is the best ever golf rivalry. Do you disagree?
However, what Trevino is saying here is more poignant and points towards a sheer love for golf above anything else. Trevino says himself that he owes everything he has to the game and that is something McIlroy should think about.
Realistically, Rory doesn’t need to do anything else in his career. But in terms of giving back to the game and making the Champions Tour a more viable product, competing on there for at least a season wouldn’t hurt McIlroy too much.
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