Lee Trevino won The Open in 1971, a title he defended the following year, but he was left to rue a £5,000 bet he made before the tournament after claiming victory at Royal Birkdale
Golfing icon Lee Trevino was left to rue a wager he struck at The Open Championship following his triumph in the prestigious tournament. The 85-year-old claimed two of his six major titles at The Open in back-to-back years during 1971 and 1972.
The American legend also boasts two PGA Championships and two US Open victories, with only the Masters eluding his collection. Across his 40-year career competing on the PGA Tour and subsequently the PGA Tour Champions, he amassed 92 professional victories and substantial earnings.
Yet there were occasions when the former player lamented financial losses, particularly following his maiden Open triumph. After narrowly defeating Taiwan’s Lu Liang-Huan – affectionately dubbed Mr. Lu by British golf enthusiasts – to claim victory at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Trevino later confessed he routinely haemorrhaged money during UK appearances.
«Every time I went over there for the Open I lost money, every damn time,» Trevino claimed during a 2017 interview. «Airfare, accommodation, caddie fees, carousing. It all adds up.»
His most significant financial blow occurred in 1971 following an encounter with two nuns while heading to his practice round. The pair informed the Texan they were offering prayers for his success, prompting the generous golfer to pledge a staggering £5,000 from his prize money should he emerge victorious.
After sinking birdies on five of the first six holes on Sunday, Trevino secured victory, with the nuns turning up as expected to collect their winnings. «I made 13,000 pounds,» Trevino revealed.
«But after travelling over there with [then wife] Claudia, paying the caddie, donating 5,000 to the nuns, I was in the hole. I won the tournament and lost money.» As the 2025 Open reaches its climax on Sunday, Rory McIlroy remains in the running at T4 alongside Chris Gotterup on eight under.
However, he still is some way off leader Scottie Scheffler, who topped the leaderboard with a score of -14 before the final round. Despite not having a win in his last six tournaments, the Northern Irishman ended an 11-year major drought in April by clinching the Masters.
However, he ran into trouble at the PGA Championship when his driver was found to be non-compliant with regulations. Consequently, he had to abandon his trusty club just two days before the major.
To help McIlroy handle fans teasing him about his driver issues at tee-off, Trevino offered some advice. He encouraged McIlroy to retort with some light-hearted banter. Speaking to The Times, Trevino said: «He’s going to the tee, these guys are full of Bud and they’re saying, ‘Rory, is this driver legal?’
«You don’t need that s***. He could have used some humour. I’d have said, ‘I’m trying to be No. 1, and if I can get another five or six illegal clubs in this bag, I’m going to try.'»
