From 1968 to 1974, golf saw one of its most compelling rivalries as Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino met at the top of the game. It was arguably the golden stretch of their head-to-head battles. According to The New York Times, the two shared the field in 74 events during that period. Nicklaus won 46 times, Trevino beat him 24, and twice neither could claim victory.

Naturally, who better to decode what made Jack Nicklaus so formidable than the man who spent years battling him? Lee Trevino offered his take during a 2020 interview with Golf TV. Reflecting on his greatest rival, the six-time major champion shed light on the qualities that made Nicklaus far more than just a natural athlete.

“Jack could have played basketball. He could have played baseball. I mean, Jack was a hell of an athlete,” Trevino said, highlighting Nicklaus’ natural athleticism. “See, that’s the thing that people don’t understand. Jack was a great athlete, and he could play all those sports.”

So, this begs the question: What made the 18-time major champion more than a natural athlete? According to Trevino, it’s the work Nicklaus put in to perfect his game.

“But he took up golf, and he was dedicated. I mean, he was dedicated. He practiced and practiced and practiced and practiced. And people don’t understand.” 

However, the 1981 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee admitted that Nicklaus had a couple of “things going for him.” First, Trevino explained, was the Golden Bear’s “small hands,” which he felt were far superior to someone with “huge hands” because “they go on the club better.” On top of that, Lee Trevino felt Jack Nicklaus had the perfect gripping technique.

“Jack used an interlocking grip, and he had a little bitty hand,” Trevino added. “And when he wiggled the club, if you watched him when he wiggled it, it was so loose, it was unbelievable.”

According to Trevino, Nicklaus’ second major advantage was his exceptional lower-body strength, which allowed him to generate tremendous power and launch the ball on an exceptionally high trajectory.

“The other thing that Jack had [was that] he was so strong from his lower body that he could hit the ball extremely high,” Trevino added. “When he hit it that high, it didn’t make any difference in a major championship… That’s why he was so good at it. He was extremely dedicated and had the greatest putting stroke of anyone I have ever seen because nothing could go wrong.”

Trevino himself was no ordinary competitor. His six major championship victories came during an era populated by the likes of Nicklaus, Gary Player, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, and several other golfing greats. He also amassed 29 PGA Tour victories, a record that speaks volumes about the level of golf he produced against such formidable opposition. 

That makes his admiration for Nicklaus all the more telling. When a player of Trevino’s stature holds someone in such high regard, it offers a glimpse of just how far the Golden Bear had set himself apart from even the greatest talents of his generation. Regardless, Trevino understood what made Nicklaus such a formidable golfer. 

But the Golden Bear held his greatest rival in equally high regard. In fact, Nicklaus viewed Trevino as one of the toughest competitors he encountered throughout his career. Speaking on the Fore Play podcast in 2020, he admitted, “Watson and Trevino were probably the two guys who gave me the most trouble down the stretch.”

He further acknowledged that the two had got the better of him more often in crucial closing stages than he had beaten them, saying, “Frankly, they got me probably more than I got them.” Nicklaus even admitted to finding Trevino intimidating, describing him as “probably the most intimidating player” he faced. What made him particularly difficult to deal with was Trevino’s constant chatter on the course.

“You could never get away from him. As a result, you were thinking about him, and he wanted you to think about him. That was an intimidating factor to me.”

Yet, despite the psychological edge Trevino seemed to have over him, Nicklaus made it clear that he genuinely enjoyed their battles. He admired the Mexican-American golfer’s competitive spirit and, in particular, his ability to remain composed when the stakes were highest.

“I really enjoyed playing against Lee,” he said. “I loved him as a competitor, because he knew that he was not going to beat himself—when he got himself in contention and was playing well.”

But the question remains: Will golf ever see another Jack Nicklaus? 

Jack Nicklaus’ formula to be like him

Becoming a golfer like Jack Nicklaus takes more than just physical ability. The 18-time major champion believes mental strength and self-belief are equally important ingredients in the recipe for greatness. During a conversation with David Rubenstein a few years ago, the golf legend opened up about what it takes to succeed in the sport.

“I think your mind is a big part [of] it,” Nicklaus said. “I think you’ve got to believe in what you can do.”

He also advised golfers to focus on improving themselves rather than measuring their abilities against others. “You’re in need to work within yourself, and then you need to do what you can do and not what somebody else can do.”

Finally, Nicklaus highlighted the confidence that comes with winning, adding, “Winning breeds winning.” 

Whether a golfer like him ever emerges is yet to be seen, but for now, there’s only one Jack Nicklaus, and he was more than just a natural athlete.