While big bucks are at stake -- $1.8 million to be exact with a cool $150,000 going into the bank accounts of each of the winning threesome -- just about all of the players in today's Gillette Tour Challenge agree that the accent will be firmly on having fun.

And for wise-cracking veteran Lee Trevino that's the kind of competition he enjoys most these days.

One of golf's all-time greats, the Merry Mex has been as successful on the Senior Tour as he was during his PGA hey-day when he won an amazing 27 times including two US Opens (1968, 1971) and a PGA Championship (1984) as well as two British Opens (1971 and '72).

But now 57-years-old, Trevino admits the will to win has diminished, if not all but disappeared.

"As Raymond Floyd said recently, the desire's just not there any more,'' smiled Trevino. "It's not something you can take out of a bottle or a can.

Desire's something you have to have every time you step out. And if it's not there, it's not there.

"I had it back in 1990 and kept it for a few years. But now I've got to the point where I'm enjoying other things, and not practising as much.

"And that's OK. I've been pretty successful.

"I just don't have that desire to win any more. And I don't think I'll ever get it back. I'll play some good tournaments but more bad than good. And I accept that because I've had a great career.'' That said, and despite the string of nagging injuries that have plagued Trevino's career in recent years, the Dallas native can still tee it up with the best, as he demonstrated during a warm-up for yesterday's Pro-Am, rifling a series of arrow-like three woods down the fairway from the worst lies he could find.

Today's format -- three-ball, best-ball -- would, admitted Trevino, be less punishing on his somewhat unpredictable game.

"To be honest,'' he laughed, "when I arrived here on Sunday night I wasn't looking forward to this event. I thought we were all playing our own ball and combining the total, and I thought to myself, `gee, I'm playing so bad I'm gonna embarrass somebody'.

"But then I found out it was best-ball, and now I feel a lot better about it.

"This kind of tournament is great for television and great for the gallery, and the players like it because you can all help each other. "It's the kind of golf I really enjoy.'' Following last week's rigours of the Ryder Cup, at least two of today's field, Freddie Couples and Lee Janzen, agreed they too would relish a format which allows one player to play safe and the other two to `go for broke'.

"This week's more giggles and hit, than pressure,'' said Couples. "It should be very relaxed.

"Obviously you try to hit as many birdies as you can. And at the end there may be some pressure if you feel your team is in with a chance of winning and you need to birdie the last two holes.

"But basically we're here to enjoy each other's company and have some fun.'' Janzen, an eleventh hour replacement for Davis Love, concurred.

"Given the opportunity to come to Bermuda for an event like this was too good to turn down.

"The field's very strong and the scores should be low. The atmosphere's very relaxed.'' TREVINO -- no longer the desire to win.