Lee Trevino's Wanamaker Magic: A Champion Reflects on Glory Days
The Voice That Defined an Era
There are certain voices in golf that transport you immediately—voices that carry the dust of Texas driving ranges, the electricity of Sunday back nines, and the unmistakable warmth of a man who never forgot where he came from. Lee Trevino's voice is one of those.
In Episode 3 of the PGA Championship Interview Series, hosted by 2002 PGA Champion Rich Beem, we're treated to something special: two major champions, two men who understand what it means to lift the Wanamaker Trophy, sitting down to talk about the game they love. Following conversations with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player in the first two episodes, Trevino brings his own irreplaceable energy to the series.
Why This Conversation Matters Now
The timing couldn't be more perfect. The 2026 PGA Championship returns to Aronimink Golf Club—a venue that hasn't hosted this major since Gary Player's victory in 1962. As golf fans prepare to watch a new generation compete for the Wanamaker, there's something grounding about hearing from the legends who shaped the championship's identity.
Trevino's PGA Championship victories in 1974 and 1984 bookended a decade that saw him establish himself as one of the most complete competitors the game has ever known. But statistics only tell part of the story. The man himself—his wit, his wisdom, his working-class roots—that's what made Trevino a people's champion.
The Beem Factor
Rich Beem makes for an ideal interviewer. His own PGA Championship victory at Hazeltine in 2002, when he held off Tiger Woods down the stretch, gives him credibility that few other hosts could match. When Beem asks about the pressure of major championship Sundays, he's not reading from a script. He lived it.
This shared experience creates a different kind of conversation—one between peers rather than interviewer and subject. You can feel it in the rhythm of their exchange, the comfortable silences, the knowing nods.
Walking Through History
What strikes me most about this interview series is how it captures something we're slowly losing: direct connection to golf's golden eras. Nicklaus, Player, and Trevino aren't just names on leaderboards or faces on old television broadcasts. They're living repositories of institutional memory, and every conversation we preserve with them becomes a gift to future generations.
Trevino's story, in particular, resonates differently than those of his contemporaries. Born into poverty, self-taught, he broke into a country club game without ever belonging to a country club. His swing was unorthodox. His background was unconventional. And yet he won six major championships and earned a place alongside the greatest to ever play.
The Aronimink Connection
As the PGA Championship prepares to return to Aronimink, understanding its history becomes essential. The Philadelphia-area club, with its Donald Ross design, represents a style of championship golf that demands precision and course management—exactly the skills that champions like Trevino mastered.
Hearing Trevino discuss what it takes to win major championships adds context to what today's players will face. The equipment has changed. The courses have been stretched. But the mental requirements of lifting that Wanamaker Trophy remain remarkably consistent.
The Interview Series Legacy
Episode 3 continues what the first two installments established: this isn't just promotional content for the upcoming championship. It's a genuine attempt to document golf history through the voices of those who made it. Jack Nicklaus brought his competitive intensity. Gary Player offered his philosophical approach to the game. And Trevino? He brings joy.
For those of us who write about golf courses and travel the world playing this game, Trevino represents something essential: golf should be fun. Even at its highest levels, even with millions on the line and careers in the balance, the game should bring joy. His interviews always remind us of that.
Key Takeaways
- The PGA Championship Interview Series Episode 3 features Lee Trevino in conversation with 2002 champion Rich Beem
- This continues a series that previously featured Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player
- The 2026 PGA Championship returns to Aronimink Golf Club for the first time since 1962
- These interviews preserve invaluable perspectives from golf's greatest champions ahead of a historic tournament