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Puerto Rican professional golfer (1935–2024) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Juan Antonio "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez (October 23, 1935 – August 8, 2024) was a Puerto Rican professional golfer. The winner of eight PGA Tour events, he was the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
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| Chi-Chi Rodríguez | |||||||||||
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Rodríguez in 2010 | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Full name | Juan Antonio Rodríguez | ||||||||||
| Nickname | Chi-Chi | ||||||||||
| Born | October 23, 1935 Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico | ||||||||||
| Died | August 8, 2024 (aged 88) | ||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg; 11 st) | ||||||||||
| Sporting nationality |  Puerto Rico United States | ||||||||||
| Spouse | Iwalani Rodríguez | ||||||||||
| Career | |||||||||||
| Turned professional | 1960 | ||||||||||
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Senior PGA Tour | ||||||||||
| Professional wins | 37 | ||||||||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||||||||
| PGA Tour | 8 | ||||||||||
| PGA Tour Champions | 22 (Tied-7th all-time) | ||||||||||
| Other | 7 | ||||||||||
| Best results in major championships | |||||||||||
| Masters Tournament | T10: 1970, 1973 | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship | T15: 1969 | ||||||||||
| U.S. Open | T6: 1981 | ||||||||||
| The Open Championship | T28: 1973 | ||||||||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Rodríguez was born into a poor family in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. He was one of six siblings. His father used to earn $18 a week as a laborer and cattle handler. When Rodríguez was seven years old, he helped the family by earning money as a water carrier on a sugar plantation. One day Juan wandered off into a golf course. When he saw that the caddies were earning more money than he was, he decided to become a caddie himself.[1][2]
Rodríguez would take a branch from a guava tree and turn it into a golf club. Using a metal can as a "golf ball," he would practice what he had seen the "real" golfers do, teaching himself how to play golf. By the time he was nine years old, he was proficient at golf, and in 1947, at the age of 12, he scored a 67.[1][2]
In 1954, when Rodríguez was 19, he joined the U.S. Army during the Korean War. During his breaks, he would visit whichever golf course was nearby, where he continued to perfect his game.[2]
Rodríguez, with characteristic charisma, would often make jokes about his past hardships on the golf course, such as, "How long does John Daly drive a golf ball? When I was a kid, I didn't go that far on vacation." And, "Playing golf is not hot work. Cutting sugar cane for a dollar a day — that's hot work. Hotter than my first wristwatch."[2][3]
Rodríguez turned professional in 1960. In 1963, at age 28, Rodríguez won the Denver Open, which he considered his favorite win. He won eight titles on the PGA Tour between 1963 and 1979.[1]
At first Rodríguez used to put his hat over the hole whenever he made a birdie or eagle. After he heard that other golfers were complaining about his little act, he decided to try something new. Juan developed his signature "toreador dance," where he would make believe that the ball was a "bull" and that his putter was a "sword," and he would terminate the "bull." Even though he was a very small man, he had a special stance and swing with the driver that enabled him to hit the ball as far as the longest drivers on the tour. Rodríguez represented Puerto Rico on 12 World Cup teams.[1]
Rodríguez became eligible to play on the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the PGA Tour Champions) in 1985 and did so for many years with great success, earning 22 tournament victories between 1986 and 1993. He was the first player on the Senior PGA Tour to win the same event in three consecutive years. He set a tour record with eight consecutive birdies en route to a win at the 1987 Silver Pages Classic. In 1991, he lost an 18-hole playoff to Jack Nicklaus in the U.S. Senior Open.[1][2] Over his three decades competing on the pro circuit, he became one of the most popular players.[4]
In 1986, Rodríguez won the Hispanic Recognition Award. In 1988, he was named Replica's Hispanic Man of the Year. In 1989, Rodríguez was voted the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. He received the 1989 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, GCSAA's highest honor. In 1992, Juan "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, the first Puerto Rican so honored.[1][2]
Rodriguez was the 1995 Rose Parade Grand Marshal.[5]
Rodríguez was married and had a daughter.[2]
On one occasion, Rodríguez had a brief encounter with Mother Teresa, a moment he considered to be the greatest of his life and which inspired him to help others. Together with former professional golfer Bill Hayes and Bob James, Rodríguez established the Chi-Chi Rodríguez Youth Foundation, an afterschool program at the Glen Oaks Golf Course in Clearwater, Florida.[1] The principal idea behind the foundation was to instill self-esteem in young people who are victims of abuse, have experienced minor brushes with the law, or have suffered any other hardships. Rodríguez also bought his mother a house and provided financial aid to his brothers and sisters.[1]
In October 1998, Rodríguez suffered a heart attack. He underwent an angioplasty to clear a blocked artery and made a full recovery.[6]
Rodríguez made a cameo in the movie Welcome to Mooseport (2004), in which he is seen golfing with the United States President, as portrayed by Gene Hackman.[2]
In May 2010, Rodríguez was robbed at his house in Guayama, Puerto Rico, by three men who stole $500,000 worth of money and jewelry. Rodríguez and his wife were awakened at 1:45 in the morning by the masked men, who tied them up and proceeded to rob them.[2][7]
On March 11, 2012, at the age of 76, Rodríguez participated, as an honorary player, in the Puerto Rico Open. He played 18 holes as his final official round as a professional in the PGA. There were several events honoring Rodríguez associated with the tournament, and the tribute received extensive media coverage.[8]
Rodríguez died on August 8, 2024, at the age of 88. He was buried at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe, Hawaii.[4][9]
A painted image of Rodriguez was used to sell golf merchandise in the 1970s. The members of the new wave band Devo saw one of these promotional images and decided that it represented the artificiality of popular culture. They used the image in their satirical manifesto (on the de-evolution of humanity) and also featured it on the artwork of their single "Be Stiff", which was released in early 1978, before they had signed to a major label. Four months later, they signed to Warner Bros. Records. For their debut album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, they wanted to use Rodriguez's image for the album cover art, but Warner rejected it, due to not having Rodriguez's permission. As the band sought permission, they suggested that the image could be altered to not resemble Rodriguez so closely. Warner's art department slightly changed the ears, eyes, nose and other features and began album production. By the time the band secured Rodriguez's permission, it was too late to use the original one. Warner sent Rodriguez $2,500 and 50 copies of the album, but he only listened to it once, preferring music by vocalists such as Dean Martin.[10]
In 1993, Rodriguez lent his name to the video game Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf, published by Virgin Games for the Sega Genesis console.[11]
The 1995 film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar features a drag queen character named Chi-Chi Rodriguez, played by John Leguizamo. The golfer sued the producers and distributors over the use of his name, later settling out of court for undisclosed amounts[12]
Source:[13]
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 1, 1963 | Denver Open Invitational | −4 (68-74-65-69=276) | 2 strokes |  Bill Eggers |
| 2 | Jan 27, 1964 | Lucky International Open | −12 (72-69-65-66=272) | Playoff | Don January |
| 3 | Aug 9, 1964 | Western Open | −16 (64-69-68-67=268) | 1 stroke | Arnold Palmer |
| 4 | Apr 30, 1967 | Texas Open Invitational | −7 (68-73-70-66=277) | 1 stroke |  Bob Charles, Bob Goalby |
| 5 | Oct 20, 1968 | Sahara Invitational | −10 (70-71-69-64=274) | Playoff | Dale Douglass |
| 6 | May 1, 1972 | Byron Nelson Golf Classic | −7 (66-68-69-70=273) | Playoff | Billy Casper |
| 7 | Apr 2, 1973 | Greater Greensboro Open | −17 (68-66-67-66=267) | 1 stroke | Lou Graham, Ken Still |
| 8 | Apr 22, 1979 | Tallahassee Open | −19 (66-69-67-67=269) | 3 strokes | Lindy Miller |
PGA Tour playoff record (3–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1964 | Lucky International Open | Don January |
Won 18-hole playoff; Rodríguez: −1 (70), January: E (71) |
| 2 | 1966 | Cajun Classic Open Invitational | Jacky Cupit |
Lost to par on second extra hole |
| 3 | 1968 | Sahara Invitational | Dale Douglass |
Won with par on first extra hole |
| 4 | 1972 | Byron Nelson Golf Classic | Billy Casper |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| Legend |
|---|
| Senior PGA Tour major championships (2) |
| Other Senior PGA Tour (20) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 22, 1986 | Senior Tournament Players Championship | −10 (69-67-70=206)* | 2 strokes |  Bruce Crampton |
| 2 | Aug 10, 1986 | Digital Seniors Classic | −13 (70-67-66=203) | 1 stroke |  Gary Player |
| 3 | Sep 14, 1986 | United Virginia Bank Seniors | −14 (69-67-66=202) | 3 strokes | Don January |
| 4 | Feb 15, 1987 | General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship | −6 (70-69-76-67=282) | 1 stroke | Dale Douglass |
| 5 | May 10, 1987 | Vantage at The Dominion | −13 (67-67-69=203) | 3 strokes | Butch Baird |
| 6 | May 17, 1987 | United Hospitals Senior Golf Championship | −8 (70-69-63=202) | 1 stroke | Lee Elder |
| 7 | May 24, 1987 | Silver Pages Classic | −16 (66-65-69=200) | 3 strokes | Bruce Crampton |
| 8 | Jun 7, 1987 | Senior Players Reunion Pro-Am | −15 (67-69-65=201) | 1 stroke | Bruce Crampton |
| 9 | Aug 9, 1987 | Digital Seniors Classic (2) | −18 (65-66-67=198) | 8 strokes | Orville Moody |
| 10 | Aug 23, 1987 | GTE Northwest Classic | −10 (70-68-68=206) | 1 stroke | Butch Baird |
| 11 | Apr 17, 1988 | Doug Sanders Kingwood Celebrity Classic | −8 (70-69-69=208) | 2 strokes | Miller Barber, John Brodie |
| 12 | Jul 31, 1988 | Digital Seniors Classic (3) | −14 (68-65-69=202) | 1 stroke | Bob Charles |
| 13 | Sep 17, 1989 | Crestar Classic (2) | −13 (66-69-68=203) | 1 stroke | Jim Dent, Dick Rhyan |
| 14 | May 6, 1990 | Las Vegas Senior Classic | −12 (68-67-69=204) | 1 stroke | George Archer, Charles Coody |
| 15 | Jul 22, 1990 | Ameritech Senior Open | −13 (67-70-66=203) | 7 strokes | George Archer, Al Kelley |
| 16 | Aug 12, 1990 | Sunwest Bank Charley Pride Senior Golf Classic | −11 (66-71-68=205) | 2 strokes | Charles Coody, Jim Dent, Jim Ferree |
| 17 | Mar 3, 1991 | GTE West Classic | −8 (66-66=132)* | 1 stroke | Bruce Crampton, Gary Player |
| 18 | Mar 24, 1991 | Vintage ARCO Invitational | −10 (70-67-69=206) | 1 stroke | Mike Hill, Don January |
| 19 | May 5, 1991 | Las Vegas Senior Classic (2) | −12 (70-68-66=204) | 3 strokes | Walt Zembriski |
| 20 | May 12, 1991 | Murata Reunion Pro-Am (2) | −8 (71-70-67=208) | Playoff | Jim Colbert |
| 21 | Nov 8, 1992 | Ko Olina Senior Invitational | −10 (69-68-69=206) | 6 strokes | Charles Coody |
| 22 | Jun 20, 1993 | Burnet Senior Classic | −15 (69-67-65=201) | 2 strokes | Jim Colbert, Bob Murphy |
*Note: Tournament shortened to 36/54 holes due to rain.
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–7)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1986 | Greater Grand Rapids Open | Jim Ferree, Gene Littler |
Ferree won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1989 | Bell Atlantic/St. Christopher's Classic | Dave Hill |
Lost to par on third extra hole |
| 3 | 1989 | General Tire Las Vegas Classic | Charles Coody, Bob Charles |
Coody won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 4 | 1990 | NYNEX Commemorative | Mike Fetchick, Jimmy Powell, Lee Trevino |
Trevino won with birdie on fifth extra hole Powell and Rodríguez eliminated by birdie on first hole |
| 5 | 1991 | Murata Reunion Pro-Am | Jim Colbert |
Won with par on fourth extra hole |
| 6 | 1991 | U.S. Senior Open | Jack Nicklaus |
Lost 18-hole playoff; Nicklaus: −5 (65), Rodríguez: −1 (69) |
| 7 | 1991 | Security Pacific Senior Classic | George Archer, John Brodie |
Brodie won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 8 | 1993 | First of America Classic | George Archer, Jim Colbert |
Archer won with par on third extra hole Rodríguez eliminated by par on first hole |
| Tournament | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T33 | CUT | T21 | CUT | T26 | |||
| U.S. Open | WD | T40 | T44 | T42 | |||||
| The Open Championship | |||||||||
| PGA Championship | T44 | T71 | T15 |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T10 | T30 | CUT | T10 | T20 | CUT | ||||
| U.S. Open | T27 | T13 | T9 | T29 | T26 | CUT | 60 | T46 | T32 | |
| The Open Championship | T28 | |||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | T66 | T24 | T24 | T39 | T22 | CUT | T46 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T44 | T38 | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | T6 | CUT |
| The Open Championship | |||
| PGA Championship | WD |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 9 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 12 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 9 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 43 | 31 |
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Senior Tournament Players Championship | −10 (69-67-70=206) | 2 strokes | Bruce Crampton |
| 1987 | General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship | −6 (70-69-76-67=282) | 1 stroke | Dale Douglass |
| Tournament | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | NYF | NYF | NYF | T7 | T48 | T6 | 3 | T30 | T37 | WD | T12 |
| Senior PGA Championship | T5 | 1 | 2 | T19 | 2 | T12 | 3 | T32 | T5 | T26 | T4 |
| Senior Players Championship | 1 | T2 | T26 | T10 | T5 | T25 | 4 | T20 | T32 | T13 | |
| U.S. Senior Open | T10 | 3 | T6 | T18 | T3 | 2 | 7 | T4 | T32 | T29 | T17 |
| Tournament | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | T43 | 70 | T65 | WD | T67 | 78 | ||||
| Senior PGA Championship | T27 | CUT | CUT | |||||||
| Senior Players Championship | T34 | T50 | T33 | T60 | 73 | 77 | ||||
| U.S. Senior Open | T21 | CUT | CUT | T37 | CUT |
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Note: Rodríguez never played in the Senior Open Championship.
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