Lee Trevino, one of golf's great legends, turns 70 today, and we'd be remiss if we let the day pass without a bit of love for the man.

A self-taught golfer and former hustler, he was the very definition of self-made. His lumberjack swing has been described as five wrongs that combine to make one right, and it's tough to deny that whatever the heck Trevino's doing, it's worked out for him.

He was at his best in the early 70s, when he rocked his way through the golf world and won a raft of sportsman-of-the-year awards. He was hit by lightning in 1975, and resultant spine injuries hampered him the rest of his career. (It also led to his famous pronouncement that the next time he was in a lightning storm, he'd hold up a one-iron, because "not even God can hit a one-iron.")

And even though he's well-known for his humor and pranks, like throwing a rubber snake at Jack Nicklaus at the start of the 1971 U.S. Open playoff, he nonetheless could play the hell out of a golf course. He had 89 professional wins, including 29 PGA wins and six majors — including that 1971 U.S. Open.

Happy Birthday from your friends at InsideTheCup.com