Trevino: New Outlook on Augusta : After a 70, He Talks About Chances of Winning Masters

His days of rage behind him, Lee Trevino is on the leader board at the Masters for one of the few times in his career.

He shot a 70, two under par, in the first round Thursday, is two shots behind leader Gary Hallberg, and talked afterward about his chances of winning the tournament.

That’s something Trevino, 45, didn’t think was possible a few years ago when he became the leading critic of the Augusta National course. He said he had no chance to win the Masters with his game.

The record doesn’t dispute that. In 13 years, he has had only one finish in the top 10 here. He chose not to compete three times, which made him no friends at Augusta National. The club members here aren’t accustomed to being snubbed.

But he made it clear Thursday that he is ready to make amends.

Question: What’s changed about your attitude toward the Masters?

Answer: I’ve got a new wife. She told me I wasn’t going to get incensed this year. She said, ‘Don’t tell me you can’t play that golf course. You can play there as well as anybody else.’ So the first thing (I did) when I drove up to the clubhouse Tuesday was lock my keys in my car. I said, ‘This is going to be a hell of a week.’ But I didn’t get mad.

Q: This is the only major tournament you haven’t won. If you had approached it with that attitude in the past, do you feel you could have won here?

A: I should have had a different attitude. I probably could have won it. But it’s my fault. It’ll probably haunt me the rest of my life. I want it now. I want it bad.

Q: You shot a 68 in the first round here last year but then played the final three rounds in 10 over par and finished in 43rd place. What happened?

A: I got to the sauce. That’s the truth. I have to tell you the truth, don’t I? A friend of mine has a farm outside of town. I was going out there every night with my buddies and drinking beer. I’m a sociable drinker. If I have one, I’m going to have 20.

Q: A lot of people wrote you off after you went three years without winning a tournament. But you won the PGA last year, your sixth victory in a major tournament. How were you able to come back so far?

A: I had been married for 10 months longer. My wife, Claudia, had a lot to do with how I played. If I hadn’t married the lady, I would have stayed single, and I probably would have quit by now. I had no one to do it for before I married her. I found myself alone and playing poorly. It was very easy to give up.

Q: Two amateurs are among the first-round leaders. Describe your amateur career.

A: When guys ask me if I went to college, I tell them I went to SMU. I delivered a tree to the alumni there every Christmas. Actually, I played a little amateur golf in the Marine Corps. I won the Okinawa Chamber of Commerce tournament in 1959. That was it.

Q: Do you think you’ll ever wear red knickers like Payne Stewart’s?

A: He looks absolutely fabulous, but he’s tall and skinny. I’m short and chunky. I’d look like a fireplug.