Chi-Chi Rodríguez

Juan Antonio "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez (born October 23, 1935) is 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.

Chi-Chi Rodríguez
Personal information
Full nameJuan Antonio Rodríguez
NicknameChi-Chi
Born (1935-10-23) October 23, 1935
Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight150 lb (68 kg; 11 st)
Nationality Puerto Rico
 United States
SpouseIwalani Rodríguez
Career
CollegeNone
Turned professional1960
Current tour(s)Champions Tour
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins37
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour8
PGA Tour Champions22
Other7
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT10: 1970, 1973
PGA ChampionshipT15: 1969
U.S. OpenT6: 1981
The Open ChampionshipT28: 1973
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame1992 (member page)
Old Tom Morris Award1989
Bob Jones Award1989

Early years

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 United States Army. 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 wrist watch."[2][3]

PGA Tour

Rodríguez turned professional in 1960. In 1963, at age 28, Rodríguez won the Denver Open, which he considers 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]

Senior PGA Tour

Rodríguez became eligible to play on the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour) 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]

Awards and honors

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.

Later years

On one occasion, Rodríguez had a brief encounter with Mother Teresa. He considers that moment as the greatest moment in his life. This encounter inspired him to help others. Rodríguez, together with former pro golfer Bill Hayes and Bob James, 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 is to instill self-esteem in young people who are victims of abuse, have experienced minor brushes with the law, or have suffered other hardships. Rodríguez also bought his mother a house and gave financial help to his brothers and sisters.[1]

In October 1998, Rodríguez suffered a heart attack. He had an angioplasty to clear the blocked artery and made a recovery. He is married and has one daughter.[2]

In 2004, Rodriguez made a cameo in the movie Welcome to Mooseport, shown golfing with the "President" portrayed by Gene Hackman.[2]

In May 2010, Rodríguez was robbed at his house in Guayama, Puerto Rico, by three people who stole $500,000 in cash and jewelry. Rodríguez and his wife were awakened at 1:45 in the morning by masked men who then tied them up and robbed them.[2][4]

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.[5]

Professional wins (37)

PGA Tour wins (8)
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.YearTournamentOpponentResult
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

Other wins (4)

Senior PGA Tour wins (22)
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

Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–7)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(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 with 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),
Rodriguez: –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 with par on first hole

Other senior wins (3)

Results in major championships
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
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary
TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament000024149
U.S. Open0000231612
The Open Championship00000011
PGA Championship000004129
Totals00004114331
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 9 (1972 U.S. Open – 1974 PGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (four times)

Senior major championships

Wins (2)
YearChampionshipWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
1986Senior Tournament Players Championship−10 (69-67-70=206)2 strokes Bruce Crampton
1987General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship−6 (70-69-76-67=282)1 stroke Dale Douglass

Team appearances

Cultural references

A painted image of Rodriguez was used to sell golf merchandise in the 1970s. The band members of Devo saw one of these promotional images and decided that it represented the artificiality of pop culture. The band put the image of Rodriguez in their satirical manifesto on the de-evolution of humanity, and it appeared on the artwork of their single, "Be Stiff", released in early 1978 before they had signed to a major label. Four months later, they signed to Warner Bros. Records to make an album, and they proposed the same image of Rodriguez for the album cover. Warner turned down the idea, as it was illegal to profit off the image of another person without their permission. The band sought permission from Rodriguez, and they also suggested to Warner that the face could be modified so that it did not resemble Rodriguez so closely. Warner's art department slightly changed the ears, eyes, nose and other features, and prepared to release the album. At this point, Rodriguez gave permission for his face to appear on the album, but it was too late to change back. The new wave album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! was released in August 1978 with the modified image of Rodriguez on the cover. 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.[6]

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See also

References
  1. "Chi-Chi Rodriguez Academy". Chichi.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  2. Made Up Media: R.Sellers, M.Walker, I.George, D.Crouch, G.Newsham. "Hall of Fame". Ingolfwetrust.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-03-12.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. The Gigantic Book of Golf Quotations, ed. Jim Apfelbaum. 2007.
  4. "Chi Chi Rodriguez robbed at home in Puerto Rico". Stats.cbc.ca. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  5. "Fifth Annual Puerto Rico Open Tees Off at The Trump International: Golf Legend Chi Chi Rodríguez to Play His Final Official Round". Prweb.com. 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  6. http://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/08/25/golf-music-casale-mothersbaugh
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