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Golf Legend Juan 'Chi Chi' Rodriguez, Eight-time PGA Tour Winner, Passes Away at 88
Hall of Fame golfer and legend Juan Chi Chi Rodriguez whose inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players, breathed his last on Thursday.
World Golf Hall of Famer and legend Chi Chi Rodriguez passed away on August 8 at 88 years old. Rodriguez had a remarkable career, securing eight titles on the PGA Tour and becoming the first Puerto Rican golfer to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan shared his thoughts on Rodriguez's passing, highlighting the 'vibrant' golfer's legacy and extending sympathies to his family during this challenging time. In his statement, Monahan expressed:
"Chi Chi Rodriguez’s passion for charity and outreach was surpassed only by his incredible talent with a golf club in his hand. 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.”
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Rodriguez’s journey from humble beginnings to golfing greatness
In a sport where polished country clubs and well-off players are the norm, Rodriguez stood out as a unique figure. Raised in a poor family in Puerto Rico, he almost lost his life at age 4 due to severe vitamin deficiencies. By age 7, he was helping his father, Juan Sr., in the sugar cane fields, where they earned just a few dollars a day.
The boy who would later become known as Chi Chi also started caddying at a golf course frequented by wealthy tourists. He taught himself to play golf using branches from guava trees to hit crushed tin cans into makeshift holes on baseball fields. At just 12 years old, he managed to shoot a 67 in a real golf game. After making a name for himself in Puerto Rican tournaments, he joined the PGA Tour in 1960.
Though Rodriguez stood at only 5 feet 7 inches and weighed around 120 pounds, he had powerful hands and wrists, allowing him to hit long, low drives. He was also an exceptional wedge player, making up for his sometimes shaky putting. “For a little man, he sure can hit it,” Jack Nicklaus once told Sports Illustrated in 1964, recounting how Rodriguez often outdrove him on flat, windy fairways.
Rodriguez went on to win eight tournaments on the PGA Tour and became a top player on the Senior (now Champions) Tour, claiming 22 victories, including two major championships: the 1986 Senior Players Championship and the 1987 Senior PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.
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Chi Chi Rodriguez was known for his flair on the course
Whenever he made a birdie, he would cover the hole with his narrow-brim straw hat and perform a toreador dance.
“One morning we were playing for five cents a hole,” he once told PEOPLE magazine, reminiscing about his early days playing against fellow caddies. “I made a 40-foot putt, but there was a toad in the hole. When he hopped out, the ball came with it. I lost the nickel.” This moment inspired him to ensure that his ball would never escape prematurely again—or so the story goes.
Rodriguez turned professional in 1960 at 25 years old, and just three years later, he claimed his first victory at the Denver Open in 1963. Over the years, he won seven more PGA Tour events, with his final victory coming in 1979 at the Tallahassee Open.
In addition to his PGA Tour successes, Rodriguez captured 22 titles on the Senior PGA Tour, including two major championships—the Senior Tournament Players Championship in 1986 and the General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship in 1987.
Beyond the golf course, Rodriguez made a significant impact through his Chi-Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation, established at the Glen Oaks Golf Course in Clearwater, Florida. This afterschool program provides children from low-income families or broken homes with the opportunity to learn golf skills while also instilling values like responsibility and work ethic.
Chi Chi Rodriguez was loved for his antics on the fairway
Rodriguez was known for his playful behavior on the course, which included twirling his club like a sword, often referred to as his “matador routine,” and celebrating with a lively dance, sometimes incorporating a salsa step, after sinking a birdie putt. He also enjoyed mimicking fellow players in what he always insisted was meant as lighthearted fun.
In October 1998, Rodriguez was hospitalized after experiencing chest pains. Though he was initially reluctant to seek medical attention, he was eventually convinced to see a doctor, who informed him that he was having a heart attack.
“It scared me for the first time,” Rodriguez admitted in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press. “Jim Anderson (his pilot) drove me to the hospital, and a team of doctors were ready to operate. The doctor said that if I had waited another 10 minutes, I 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.”
After his recovery, Rodriguez returned to competition for a few more years before gradually stepping away from professional golf to focus more on community and charity work, including his ongoing efforts with the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation, which he founded in 1979.
In recent years, Rodriguez spent most of his time in Puerto Rico. There he was involved in a golf community project that faced challenges during the recession and housing crisis, hosted a talk show on a local radio station, and made appearances at various events.
At the 2008 Puerto Rico Open, he was seen strolling through the grounds in a black leather coat and dark sunglasses, shaking hands and posing for photos, but he didn’t play any golf. “I didn’t want to take a spot away from young men trying to make a living,” he said.
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