Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a wildly popular golfer known for his hilarious antics, died Thursday at the age of 88. Carmelo Javier Ríos, a senator in Rodriguez’s native Puerto Rico, announced the death and did not provide a cause of death.
“Chi Chi Rodriguez’s passion for philanthropy and community service was only surpassed by his incredible talent with a club in his hand,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “A vibrant, colorful personality both on and off the golf course, he will be greatly missed by the PGA Tour and those whose lives he touched in his mission to give back. The PGA Tour extends its deepest condolences to the entire Rodriguez family during this difficult time.”
Rodriguez is an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour and 22-time winner on the Champions Tour, and he was inducted into the PGA World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992. But when discussing Rodriguez’s story, the victories aren’t as important as his inspiration and character.
Rodriguez was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, on October 23, 1935, and as a child he helped his father in the sugarcane fields. Rodriguez learned to play golf using guava sticks as clubs and tin cans as balls. He then served in the United States Army from 1955-57, playing golf whenever he could.
Rodriguez turned pro in 1960 and won his first PGA Tour victory at the Denver Open in 1963. He became a truly unique figure on Tour thanks to his celebrations, which included swinging his club like a sword, wiping it clean and putting it away.
In 1998, Rodriguez was hospitalized with chest pains, which doctors told him were heart attacks. Although Rodriguez continued to play on the Champions Tour, he devoted more time to the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation, which was founded in 1979 and “helps at-risk youth achieve academic, social, and economic success by helping them continue their education and acquire the practical skills necessary to succeed in life.” according to its websiteHe spent most of his later years in his native Puerto Rico.
