Chi Chi Rodríguez: 1935—: Golfer.
Golfer Chi Chi Rodríguez owes much of his fame to his charismatic personality, wit, and sincere generosity. He seldom won on the regular pro golfing tour. However, Rodríguez went on to win many golf victories on the Champions Tour (formerly Senior PGA).
Juan "Chi Chi" Rodríguez was born on October 23, 1935, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, an impoverished area near San Juan. The fifth of six children, Rodríguez contracted rickets and tropical sprue when he was four years old, both caused by vitamin deficiencies. The illness was nearly fatal and left his bones thin and very sensitive to pressure and pain. When Rodríg…
By the time he became a full-fledged caddy, Rodríguez had become intrigued with the game of golf He would rise early to sneak out to the course to practice. On the one day of the week that caddies were allowed to play, he competed fiercely with the other boys. Filling hand-me-down oversized golf shoes with newspaper to make them fit his smaller feet, Rodríguez strutted around the cou…
In 1960, underwritten by a $12,000 check from Laurance Rockefeller, part owner of Dorado Beach, the 25-year-old Rodríguez joined the PGA Tour. Accompanied by Cooper, Rodríguez met and practiced with many of the game's greats, including Sam Snead, Tommy Bolt, and Ben Hogan. In his first tour event, the 1960 Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan, he was tied for the lead after the…
Rodríguez won his first tournament in 1963 at the Denver Open. He became known for having the softest hands on the tour, with a deadly short game. Even though he was small in stature, Rodríguez created tremendous club head speed on his drives, and in his younger days could regularly drive the ball over 250 yards. His problems on the course almost always manifested themselves on the g…
Despite suffering a heart attack in 1998, Rodríguez was active on the tour into the 2003 season. When not on the golf course entertaining fans, he has spent much of his time (and over $5 million of his money) on helping troubled kids overcome obstacles. In 1979 he founded the Chi Chi Rodríguez Foundation, a counseling, educational, and vocational training center for children ages fiv…
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