August 9th 2024.
Professional golfer Juan "Chi Chi" Rodriguez, known for his impressive skills on the course and his inspiring life story, passed away at the age of 88 on Thursday. The sad news was announced by Puerto Rican senator Carmelo Javier Ríos, although the cause of death was not disclosed.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan expressed his condolences, praising Rodriguez for his talent with a golf club and his dedication to charity work. He described Rodriguez as a vibrant and colorful personality both on and off the course, and acknowledged the impact he had on those he touched through his philanthropic efforts.
Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Rodriguez was the second oldest of six children. He grew up in a time when the area was filled with sugar cane fields, and he often helped his father with the harvest as a child. Today, the area is a bustling urban landscape, part of the capital city of San Juan.
Rodriguez once shared that he learned to play golf by hitting tin cans with a stick from a guava tree. He then started working as a caddie and claimed to have shot a 67 by the age of 12. He joined the PGA Tour in 1960 after serving in the U.S. Army from 1955-1957. Throughout his 21-year career, he won eight tournaments and played on one Ryder Cup team.
His first PGA Tour victory came in 1963 at the Denver Open, followed by two more wins the following year. He continued to compete until 1979, when he won the Tallahassee Open. He also had 22 victories on the Champions Tour from 1985-2002, and earned a total of over $7.6 million throughout his career. In 1992, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Rodriguez was known for his playful antics on the course, such as twirling his club like a sword and doing celebratory dances after making birdie putts. He often imitated other players, but always in good fun. However, in 1998, he suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized after experiencing chest pains. He underwent surgery and made a full recovery, but decided to scale back his competitive career and focus more on giving back to his community.
He founded the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation in Clearwater, Florida in 1979, and also spent time in Puerto Rico where he was involved in a golf community project and hosted a radio talk show. In 2008, he made an appearance at the Puerto Rico Open, but chose not to play so as not to take a spot away from a younger player trying to make a living.
Rodriguez is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Iwalani, and his stepdaughter Donnette. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and fans. Rest in peace, Chi Chi.
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