Hall of Fame Golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez, Known for Green Antics, Dies at 88

Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a beloved Hall of Fame golfer known for his lively antics on the greens and inspiring life story, passed away Thursday at the age of 88.

The announcement of Rodriguez’s death came from Carmelo Javier Ríos, a senator in Rodriguez’s native Puerto Rico. The cause of death was not disclosed.

“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 expressed 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.”

Born Juan Antonio Rodriguez, he grew up as the second oldest of six children in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. This area was once blanketed with sugar cane fields where young Rodriguez helped his father with the harvest. It is now part of San Juan, the bustling capital of the U.S. island territory.

Rodriguez discovered golf by hitting tin cans with a guava tree stick, eventually finding work as a caddie. He claimed he could shoot a 67 by the age of 12, according to a biography from the Chi Chi Rodriguez Management Group.

After serving in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957, Rodriguez joined the PGA Tour in 1960. Over his 21-year career, he won eight times, including a victory on the Ryder Cup team. The first of his PGA Tour victories was in 1963 at the Denver Open. He continued to win, securing his last tour victory at the Tallahassee Open in 1979.

Rodriguez also had an impressive run on the Champions Tour, securing 22 victories from 1985 to 2002 and amassing combined career earnings of over $7.6 million. He was inducted into the PGA World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.

Known for his on-course antics, Rodriguez entertained fans with his “matador routine,” twirling his club like a sword, and doing celebratory dances with a shuffling salsa step after hitting birdie putts. He often imitated fellow players, insisting it was all in good fun.

In October 1998, Rodriguez was hospitalized after experiencing chest pains and was told he was having a heart attack. “It scared me for the first time,” he said in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press. He was rushed to the hospital and operated on immediately. Doctors told him that if he had waited another 10 minutes, he would have needed a heart transplant.

“They call it the widow-maker,” he said. “About 50 percent of the people who get this kind of heart attack die. So I beat the odds pretty good.”

Following his recovery, Rodriguez returned to competition for a few years but eventually shifted his focus to community and charity work. He dedicated much of his time to the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation, a charity founded in 1979 in Clearwater, Florida.

In recent years, Rodriguez spent most of his time in Puerto Rico. He was involved in a golf community project, hosted a local radio talk show for several years, and attended various sporting and community events.

In 2008, Rodriguez made an appearance at the Puerto Rico Open, mingling with fans in a black leather coat and dark sunglasses. He chose not to play, stating, “I didn’t want to take a spot away from young men trying to make a living.”

Rodriguez is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Iwalani, and Donnette, his wife’s daughter from a previous marriage.

Source: AP News, PGA Tour