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Lee Trevino

1972 / Muirfield

Lee Trevino completed a successful defence of The Open at Muirfield in 1972, producing an incredible display of short-game wizardry.

His victory not only broke the heart of Britain’s Tony Jacklin, but halted Jack Nicklaus’s hopes of achieving a Grand Slam in a dramatic conclusion featuring the last three Champion Golfers.

Nicklaus had won the Masters and the U.S. Open but trailed by six shots with a round to play. Jacklin had led after a first round of 69 and he shared the lead at halfway with Trevino, the defending Champion Golfer opening with rounds of 71 and 70.

Trevino added a 66 to lead Jacklin by one shot but only after a dazzling finish to the round with five birdies in the last five holes, holing a bunker shot at the 16th and chipping in at the last.

Nicklaus was out in 32 on the last day, briefly moving into a share of the lead before Trevino and Jacklin both eagled the ninth.

Uncharacteristically, Nicklaus missed some important putts down the stretch but still posted a target of 279 after a closing 66.

Jacklin and Trevino were tied playing the par-5 17th but Trevino bunkered his tee shot and was off the edge of the green in four. Jacklin had a birdie putt of 18 feet and Trevino had all but given up, wasting no time over his chip which dived into the hole.

It was a cruel blow to Jacklin, who promptly three-putted, pulling his three-footer for par, and bogeyed the last as well to finish third.

Trevino, with a 71, beat Nicklaus by one. It was his fourth major title and he would go on to win two more, both in the US PGA Championship.

Jacklin, by his own admission, was never quite the same player ever again.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Lee TREVINO
1
71
70
66
71
278
-
2
70
72
71
66
279
-
3
69
72
67
72
280
-
4
71
71
69
70
281
-
Brian BARNES
5
71
72
69
71
283
-
6
71
71
76
67
285
-
David VAUGHAN
7
74
73
70
69
286
-
7
73
74
70
69
286
-
7
73
73
69
71
286
-
Guy HUNT
7
75
72
67
72
286
-
Clive CLARK
11
72
71
73
71
287
-
Dave MARR
11
70
74
71
72
287
-
Peter TOWNSEND
13
70
72
76
70
288
-
Roberto BERNARDINI
13
73
71
76
68
288
-
Peter BUTLER
15
72
75
73
69
289
-
Jan DORRESTEIN
15
74
71
72
72
289
-
15
76
66
72
75
289
-
15
75
70
74
70
289
-
Maurice BEMBRIDGE
19
73
71
75
71
290
-
Frank BEARD
19
70
76
74
70
290
-
Harry BANNERMAN
19
77
73
73
67
290
-
Bert YANCEY
19
73
72
72
73
290
-
Craig DEFOY
23
70
75
71
75
291
-
Christy O'CONNOR SR
23
73
74
73
71
291
-
Doug MCCLELLAND
23
73
74
72
72
291
-
Bruce DEVLIN
26
75
70
77
70
292
-
Brian HUGGETT
26
73
72
79
68
292
-
Peter OOSTERHUIS
28
75
75
73
70
293
-
John GARNER
28
71
71
76
75
293
-
Jerry HEARD
28
75
75
71
72
293
-
31
71
72
74
77
294
-
Brian THOMSON
31
74
77
72
71
294
-
Min Nan HSIEH
31
75
75
73
71
294
-
Bob SHEARER
31
77
75
68
74
294
-
Vicente FERNANDEZ
31
78
74
73
69
294
-
Dave STOCKTON
31
72
72
76
74
294
-
31
79
72
74
69
294
-
Peter ALLISS
31
74
74
77
69
294
-
Gordon CUNNINGHAM
31
76
75
73
70
294
-
Billy CASPER
40
72
74
74
75
295
-
Tommy HORTON
40
76
72
73
74
295
-
Liang Huan LU
40
77
73
71
74
295
-
40
77
72
70
76
295
-
Chi Hsiung KUO
40
74
72
76
73
295
-
Vince HOOD
40
76
74
72
73
295
-
David OAKLEY
46
72
75
77
72
296
-
Sam TORRANCE
46
72
74
76
74
296
-
Ernie JONES
46
75
74
74
73
296
-
Peter TUPLING
46
68
74
73
81
296
-
Norman WOOD
50
74
78
71
75
298
-
Doug SEWELL
50
75
74
75
74
298
-
David TALBOT
50
72
76
76
74
298
-
Graham MARSH
50
78
73
74
73
298
-
Andrew BROOKS
50
74
74
75
75
298
-
Bryon HUTCHINSON
50
74
73
74
77
298
-
David LLEWELLYN
56
72
73
79
75
299
-
John O'LEARY
56
75
76
74
74
299
-
Bobby WALKER
58
74
74
74
78
300
-
Antonio GARRIDO
59
71
77
77
76
301
-
Jimmy HUME
59
77
70
77
77
301
-
Tienie BRITZ
59
75
77
73
76
301
-
Gary BALESON
62
76
73
73
80
302
-
John FOWLER
63
76
76
71
81
304
-
Stuart BROWN
64
81
70
74
80
305
-
John PANTON
WD
75
76
75
-
-
-
Stephen ROLLEY
WD
77
73
76
-
-
-
Hugh BAIOCCHI
WD
77
75
74
-
-
-
Toni KUGELMULLER
WD
74
77
75
-
-
-
David INGRAM
WD
75
76
75
-
-
-
Ben ARDA
WD
77
74
76
-
-
-
Sandy STEPHEN
WD
74
77
76
-
-
-
Ian MOSEY
WD
74
76
77
-
-
-
David SNELL
WD
73
77
77
-
-
-
Hugh BOYLE
WD
74
76
77
-
-
-
Ronnie SHADE
WD
75
77
75
-
-
-
Rodney FOSTER
WD
77
72
78
-
-
-
Bernard HUNT
WD
79
72
77
-
-
-
Neil COLES
WD
76
74
78
-
-
-
Randall VINES
WD
75
75
78
-
-
-
Baldovino DASSU
WD
76
75
77
-
-
-
R.P. REVELL
WD
75
76
77
-
-
-
Paul LEONARD
WD
74
76
79
-
-
-
Donald GAMMON
WD
73
79
77
-
-
-
Marshall DOUGLAS
WD
74
76
80
-
-
-
Hedley MUSCROFT
WD
76
76
78
-
-
-
Dale HAYES
WD
75
77
79
-
-
-
David JAGGER
WD
75
77
79
-
-
-
Ronnie MCDONALD
WD
73
78
82
-
-
-
Martin GRAY
M/C
78
75
-
-
-
M/C
Ken HARRELSON
M/C
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
Ian STANLEY
M/C
76
77
-
-
-
M/C
Jaime GALLARDO
M/C
77
76
-
-
-
M/C
Hugh CAMPBELL
M/C
76
77
-
-
-
M/C
Eddie POLLAND
M/C
76
77
-
-
-
M/C
Ramon SOTA
M/C
75
78
-
-
-
M/C
Cyril PENNINGTON
M/C
77
76
-
-
-
M/C
Angel GALLARDO
M/C
77
76
-
-
-
M/C
Trevor HOMER
M/C
78
75
-
-
-
M/C
Terry WESTBROOK
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Ken BOUSFIELD
M/C
74
80
-
-
-
M/C
Lionel PLATTS
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
Hugh JACKSON
M/C
76
78
-
-
-
M/C
Bernard GALLACHER
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
W.B. PARKIN
M/C
79
75
-
-
-
M/C
David BUTLER
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
Roger FIDLER
M/C
77
77
-
-
-
M/C
Emilio PERERA
M/C
81
74
-
-
-
M/C
Frank MALLOY
M/C
77
78
-
-
-
M/C
Ian GRADWELL
M/C
79
76
-
-
-
M/C
Walter GODFREY
M/C
79
76
-
-
-
M/C
Dave THOMAS
M/C
82
73
-
-
-
M/C
Bill BERRY
M/C
78
77
-
-
-
M/C
Noel HUNT
M/C
73
82
-
-
-
M/C
Malcolm GREGSON
M/C
79
77
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
78
78
-
-
-
M/C
Donald SWAELENS
M/C
78
78
-
-
-
M/C
Pip ELSON
M/C
79
77
-
-
-
M/C
Johnny JOHNSON
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
Howard CLARK
M/C
74
83
-
-
-
M/C
Malcolm LEEDER
M/C
77
80
-
-
-
M/C
Brian EVANS
M/C
80
77
-
-
-
M/C
Jimmy AIRTH
M/C
77
80
-
-
-
M/C
Michael BONALLACK
M/C
81
76
-
-
-
M/C
Nick JOB
M/C
76
81
-
-
-
M/C
Ian MACDONALD
M/C
77
80
-
-
-
M/C
David MILLER
M/C
79
78
-
-
-
M/C
Sandy WILSON
M/C
79
79
-
-
-
M/C
Mike NUTTER
M/C
78
80
-
-
-
M/C
Eric WALTERS
M/C
85
73
-
-
-
M/C
John DAUTHIEU
M/C
77
82
-
-
-
M/C
Mac HUNTER
M/C
81
78
-
-
-
M/C
Malcolm CRAIG
M/C
83
76
-
-
-
M/C
Malcolm GUNN
M/C
77
82
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
79
81
-
-
-
M/C
David HUISH
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
John LISTER
M/C
80
80
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
77
83
-
-
-
M/C
J.A. PAPE
M/C
84
77
-
-
-
M/C
Sandy HORNE
M/C
85
76
-
-
-
M/C
M.J. HICKS
M/C
82
79
-
-
-
M/C
Peter BERRY
M/C
76
85
-
-
-
M/C
Hector ZERBST
M/C
81
81
-
-
-
M/C
Robert WEBSTER
M/C
80
82
-
-
-
M/C
R.J. GRAY
M/C
84
78
-
-
-
M/C
John MCTEAR
M/C
78
84
-
-
-
M/C
J.R.S. THOMSON
M/C
79
84
-
-
-
M/C
Bill LARGE
M/C
78
85
-
-
-
M/C
Jose Maria FILHO
M/C
82
82
-
-
-
M/C
Steve COOK
M/C
79
85
-
-
-
M/C
Frank CONALLIN
M/C
81
84
-
-
-
M/C
Bill MURRAY
M/C
81
85
-
-
-
M/C
Frank GILBRIDE
M/C
87
81
-
-
-
M/C
Ken ADWICK
Wd
80
-
-
-
-
M/C

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