“I was machine gun specialist” - Lee Trevino on serving in the Marine Corps and developing his golf game on the go

Lee Trevino was the celebrity guest on this week's No Laying Up Podcast, where he opened up about the unsung chapters of his life that have been out of media headlines over the years.

Trevino spoke about his four years spent in the Pacific Ocean while serving in the Marine Corps. Prior to beginning his professional golf career, the 84-year-old disclosed that he was a gun specialist in the Marine Corps.

Trevino told a fascinating anecdote about a time in the army when he entered recon, but his orders were messed up. He then informed the captain about the situation.

When Trevino admitted that he was a golfer, the captain helped him and called a man named Bill Irwin, an amateur golfer from California. Trevino later partnered with Irwin to play golf, and within a month and a half, he rose to the top of the team's rankings.

Sharing his story, Lee Trevino said in the podcast:

"He (the captain) says let me ask you something, and he said you play a sport? I said I can play golf, and he said, Hold, just stand right there. He picks up the phone and calls a guy. His name was Bill Irwin. I'll never forget his name; he was from California, and he was the amateur champion in California."

He added:

"He said I got a kid up here who says he plays golf. And he says, Do you need somebody on that team? and the guy says, "Yeah, send him down here." So I go down there, and I talk to him. It took me about a month and a half; I became the number one player on that team. That's where I met Marville Moody; I met him in Japan."

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Lee Trevino's golf career

Lee Trevino was introduced to golf by his uncle while growing up in Garland, Texas. Growing up, he had a tough childhood and occasionally attended school, spending most of his time working to earn money. He was employed in cotton fields.

However, when his uncle gave him golf balls, he divided his time between working and playing golf. He soon started working as a caddie to earn his living. In 1956, at the age of 17, Trevino joined the United States Marine Corps and worked with them for four years as a machine gunner. He was discharged from his duties in 1960 with the 3rd Marine Division and soon went to work as a club professional in El Paso, Texas.

Beginning his professional career in 1960, Lee Trevino has won 92 competitions. After making a good impression on the Sunshine and Japan Golf Tours, he participated in tournaments on the PGA and European tours during the peak of his career.

Twenty-nine of his victories were recorded on the PGA Tour and five on the European Tour. Trevino has also won six Major tournaments in his career.