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Chi Chi Rodriguez, one of the most charismatic, popular, and generous figures in the history of golf, has died.
Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, indisputably the greatest golfer Puerto Rico has ever produced, was 88 years old. The Puerto Rico Golf Association announced his passing. No cause was listed.
A gifted player, entertainer and humanitarian, World Golf Hall of Famer Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez of Puerto Rico died on Thursday at 88.
A 30x @PGATOUR and @ChampionsTour winner, he played on the victorious 1973 @RyderCupUSA team and received the 1989 @USGA Bob Jones Award. pic.twitter.com/RzOvceTwcu
— Golf Hall of Fame (@GolfHallofFame) August 9, 2024
Chi Chi Rodriguez, truly one-of-a-kind
Rodriguez, from the humblest of upbringings in Rio Piedras, picked up golf “by hitting tin cans with a guava tree stick.” He turned pro in 1960 after two years in the Army and a few more as a caddie back home. His first of eight PGA Tour wins came at the Denver Open Invitational in 1963.
He went on to win the 1964 Lucky International Open, the 1964 Western Open, the 1967 Texas Open Invitational, 1968 Sahara Invitational, 1972 Byron Nelson Golf Classic, 1973 Greater Greensboro Open and the 1979 Tallahassee Open.
“Chi Chi Rodriguez’s passion for charity and outreach was surpassed only by his incredible talent with a golf club in his hand,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “A vibrant, colorful personality both on and off the golf course, he will be missed dearly by the PGA Tour and those whose lives he touched in his mission to give back. The PGA Tour sends its deepest condolences to the entire Rodriguez family during this difficult time.”
Juan Antonio “Chi Chi” Rodriguez has passed away at the age of 88. He was apart of the winning U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1973, an 8-time PGA Tour winner, 22-time Champions Tour winner, and was inducted into the @GolfHallofFame in 1992.
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) August 9, 2024
Rodriguez, standing just 5-foot-7, 135 pounds, was beloved for his outsized, ahead-of-his-time showmanship, exemplified by his signature “sword dance.” He would occasionally irk his peers with his go-to move of placing his fedora over the hole after sinking birdie putts.
“The people come out and pay good money to see golf,” Rodriguez said, per the PGA Tour's website. “I think they deserve something extra, and I like to give it to them.”
Chi Chi flare was unmatched.
His 1987 @seniorpgachamp win was 1 of his 22 senior titles. pic.twitter.com/iMspmK2Ldo
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 20, 2019
Chi Chi's flare on the course was only surpassed by his generosity in the community. The Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation, based in Clearwater, Florida, set up scores of at-risk youth for success. To this day, the foundation brings 600 low-income children annually to its municipal course to develop life skills.
Rodriguez received numerous philanthropic honors, including the Bob Jones Award and induction into the World Humanitarian Sports Hall of Fame. (Rodriguez was complimentary of Tiger Woods, whose foundation also works with underprivileged youth.)
Chi Chi became one of the most decorated senior circuit players of all-time, racking up 22 wins on the PGA Tour Champions from 1986 to 1993. Rodriguez lost an 18-hole playoff to Jack Nicklaus at the 1991 U.S. Senior Open.
“In life, you have to have goals. And I have conquered most of my goals. I didn’t become the greatest golfer in the world, but I became the greatest Puerto Rican golfer of all time,” Rodriguez told Golf.com in 2016.
In 1992, Chi Chi Rodriguez was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
