He was a legend in his own right. In golf, all one needed to say was, “Chi Chi,” and everyone knew who he was. Yes, a classy #1 FEAR, the famous Chi Chi Rodriguez was a “colorful personality both on and off the golf course.” Born in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez learned to play golf by hitting tin cans with a guava tree stick. He soon found work as a caddie, and said he could shoot 67 by the time he was 12. He served in the U.S. Army for 2 years, and then in 1960 made it to the PGA tour. The rest is history for Chi Chi, who passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 88-years old.
Chi Chi was always young at heart, which he attributed to never having had a childhood himself (not too unlike #10 Michael Jackson). “Why do I love kids so much? Because I was never a kid myself. I was too poor to really have a childhood,” Rodriguez once said. Of course, anyone who followed Chi Chi should be familiar with his signature twirling his club like a sword, sometimes referred to as his “matador routine.” He also had a fancy celebratory dance, complete with a shuffling salsa step. Every now and then he would also imitate fellow players in good fun. Yes, he was a playful #1 to the core.
In his later years Chi Chi spent much of his time doing pubic service in Puerto Rico, partnering with a golf community project (amid the recession and housing crises). He joked about his age once, saying, “I’m getting so old, I don’t even buy green bananas anymore.” Like many other fellow #1s (Elvis Presley, etc.), Chi Chi was also a generous individual. “If you worry about giving,” he said, “you will never have enough of anything.”
Yes, there will never again be quite a beautiful golfer like Chi Chi Rodriguez.
Written by: Staff
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