LEE TREVINO SAYS TIGER NEEDS TO 'GET RID OF ALL THE GURUS'

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By KEVIN GARSIDE
Those of you wondering why Tiger Woods, a man with 14 majors to his credit, should need instruction on how to hit a golf ball have a sympathiser in Lee Trevino.

Woods’ relationship with his new coach, Sean Foley, is the talk of the golfing salon. Foley’s defenders speak of a genuine, committed chap who thinks deeply about the game. His detractors, including Foley’s predecessor, Hank Haney, take one look at Woods on the tee and scream. Supermex is one of the screamers.

From his humble, self-taught roots in Texas, Trevino, pictured, honed a swing that was far from textbook but good enough to yield six majors. The idea that a golfer must reconstruct the fundamentals of the swing is anathema to him.

The idea that a player as good as Woods might need to tinker brings Lee out in hives.

“You are winning six tournaments in a row, and then you are holding all four (major) trophies at one time, and then you change your swing.
"What the hell for? Who are you trying to beat, yourself? He succeeded. He beat himself. Tiger is very dedicated to the game. He has a passion for it. I had the same thing, but I never changed my swing.”
Trevino still plays every day at the age of 71, and claims to hit the ball further than he did at 30. Technological doping you might say. Like the rest of us he is engaged by Woods.
Trevino’s approach to criticism reflects the way he played the game, curiously effective. He throws in the term ‘guru’ which invites us to consider the role of the coach as something other than a technical adviser.
Could Trevino be the first to flag up a weakness in a psyche previously thought to be bomb-proof? Tiger’s greatest strength turns out to be his weak point. Genius. Given what we have discovered about Woods’ private life, Trevino might just be on to something. All is not as it seems.

“I would love to see him go back to the original and just pound balls. Do you remember how he played? He won 6 in a row. How the hell do you win six in a row of anything? Once he gets his head screwed on straight and he gets rid of all of these gurus, he will be fine.”
There’s the answer, Tiger. Just give Supermex a ring.