Chi Chi Rodriguez on the 1980 Masters.
Getty Pictures
Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a World Golf corridor of famer and one of many sport’s brightest showmen, died Thursday, a number of sources, together with the PGA Tour, introduced. He was 88.
Rodriguez was dynamic in his shot-making — and filled with aptitude in his presentation of it. Inducted into golf’s corridor in 1992, he gained eight instances on the PGA Tour and 22 instances on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, however he was additionally cherished by followers for his persona — and most particularly, his celebrations, which included a waving of the putter as if it had been a sword after a made putt, adopted by a gesture of it downward, as if he had been placing the weapon again in its scabbard.
Rodriguez additionally gave off the course, and his philanthropic endeavors included the formation of the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Basis. His work in that space earned him the USGA’s Bob Jones Award and an induction into the World Humanitarian Sports activities Corridor of Fame.
“Chi Chi Rodriguez’s ardour for charity and outreach was surpassed solely by his unbelievable expertise with a golf membership in his hand,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan stated in a story posted to the Tour’s web site. “A vibrant, colourful persona each on and off the golf course, he will likely be missed dearly by the PGA Tour and people whose lives he touched in his mission to offer again. The PGA Tour sends its deepest condolences to all the Rodriguez household throughout this tough time.”
Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 23, 1935, Rodriguez picked up golf “by hitting tin cans with a guava tree stick,” in keeping with his bio on the PGA Tour’s web site, then labored as a caddie earlier than becoming a member of the U.S. Military at 19. He turned professional in 1960, and his first PGA Tour victory got here on the 1963 Denver Open Invitational. He adopted that with wins on the 1964 Fortunate Worldwide Open, the 1964 Western Open, the 1967 Texas Open Invitational, 1968 Sahara Invitational, 1972 Byron Nelson Golf Basic, 1973 Better Greensboro Open and the 1979 Tallahassee Open, earlier than his run on the 50-and-over circuit. There, he gained the 22 instances and completed runner-up 33 instances.
He was adored too for his showmanship, which included the matador-style celebration and a transfer the place he coated a completed gap together with his fedora — to ensure that his ball to not flee.
“Chi Chi feels so fortunate, is so pleased with what he’s completed, is so grateful, that he has to offer one thing again,” Doug Sanders informed Sports activities Illustrated in a 1987 interview. “The sword dance, the jokes, the hat, the brilliant garments, the best way he helps children and everyone else, it simply comes all the way down to saying, ‘Take a look at me. You didn’t suppose I may make it. However I did. In any case.
“Now let me share it with you.’”
It’s with that, that that is additionally value sharing. In 2016, GOLF.com printed a Q&A with Rodriguez, then 80, entitled “Deep Ideas With Golf Legend Chi-Chi Rodriguez.” That full interview will be learn by clicking right here or by scrolling under, the place the questions are written in italics.
What’s the strangest factor that you simply’ve seen on the golf course?
“Nicely, to inform you the reality, I did one thing that’s by no means been completed on Tour. Within the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan, I hit a drive and a 6-iron to the thirteenth gap and made a double eagle. And that’s the one time a double eagle has been rained out on the Tour. [Laughs.] That was unusual.”
What occurred?
“Nicely, it rained laborious. I used to be main the event, however they rained the spherical out. Two-thirds of the sector had completed. See, they by no means had guidelines on the rained-out spherical. The officers may make any resolution they wished. Relying [on] who was main, that’s the best way they made the ruling.”
That’s a disgrace. Was there a second if you realized you had been adequate at golf to play for a residing?
“I knew I used to be gonna be good once I was 12 as a result of I shot 67 on a 7,200-yard course. There have been sand greens, and I used to be chipping it in.”
The place did the 67 occur?
“It was a spot known as Berwind Nation Membership in Puerto Rico. I used to be a caddie. I shaped a union as a result of they weren’t paying us sufficient cash. They had been paying us 25 cents for 18 holes, and I informed the adults, that’s not sufficient. And I organized all of them and we did a strike, they usually raised it to 35 cents. Six months later, I stated 35 ain’t sufficient. Then they went to 50. Once I went into the Military once I was 19, we had been getting $1.70 for 18 holes.”
What’s your biggest accomplishment?
“I met Mom Teresa within the Philippines. I used to be a very good pal of President Marcos, and we had been at Puerto Azul at a course that Gary Participant designed, and [Marcos] requested me, ‘Who would you want to fulfill, Mom Teresa or the Pope?’ And I stated, ‘We’ll all the time have one other Pope, however we’ll by no means have one other Mom Teresa.’ So I met her and spent 45 minutes together with her. Victories are essential due to the cash and the ego that you simply create with it, however this was not a cloth factor, this was a religious factor, assembly the one saint on this planet then.”
Which younger gamers on Tour right now remind you of your self?
“Rickie Fowler did, however he’s modified. I by no means wished to be like anyone else. I wished to be me. I want Rickie would have saved the best way he used to decorate. He used to decorate like Doug Sanders, he had the lengthy hair. My spouse and I used to like to look at him on TV. We nonetheless do, however he’s modified.”
How do you regard your profession?
“In life, you need to have targets. And I’ve conquered most of my targets. I didn’t turn out to be the best golfer on this planet, however I grew to become the best Puerto Rican golfer of all time.”
Once you had been younger, who impressed you most?
“I will need to have performed 15 tournaments with Ben Hogan, and I don’t suppose I ever noticed him miss a inexperienced. He was like a machine. The primary time we performed collectively was at Oakland Hills, and I went to the first tee and I stated, ‘Mr. Hogan, my identify is Chi Chi Rodriguez. And out of respect to you, I do know that you’ve got a nasty knee. You thoughts if I repair your ball mark all through the spherical?’ And he says, ‘I admire that very a lot.’ He preferred me after that.”
Earlier than we are saying goodbye, are you able to inform us a joke?
“Nicely, there was this man who had this pet store, and he had this parrot. And this woman used to stroll by every single day and the parrot would go, ‘You’re fats! You’re ugly! You’re disgusting!’ The woman saved strolling by for months. ‘You’re fats! You’re ugly! You’re disgusting!’ And the girl lastly acquired mad and got here to the proprietor and stated, ‘Hey, your parrot doesn’t respect me and she or he has embarrassed me in entrance of all of the individuals every single day. In case you don’t do one thing about it I’m gonna sue you.’ So the man informed the parrot, ‘You higher behave your self with that woman, or I’m gonna put you within the oven.’ So the subsequent day the parrot is correct there and the girl goes by and she or he appears on the parrot and the parrot appears at her, and says, ‘You already know!’”
