Golf legend Chi Chi Rodriguez dies at age 88

09/08/2024 01:19

Chi Chi Rodriguez, an eight-time PGA Tour winner but moreso one of the most charismatic figures in pro golf, has died at age 88, according to a story by noticel.com.

Small in stature, Rodriguez was a big hitter off the tee and was known for his sword routine after making big putts.

His death was first announced on Facebook by Carmelo Javier Rios, a member of the Senate in Puerto Rico. The cause of death has not yet been announced. His death was also reported on the Puerto Rico Golf Association website.

Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 23, 1935, Juan Antonio Rodriguez picked up the nickname Chi Chi as a kid when he played baseball. His PGA Tour bio reports that he worked as a caddie until joining the U.S. Army at the age of 19.

His first PGA Tour win came in 1963 at the Denver Open Invitational. He was 28. He also won the 1964 Lucky International Open, the 1964 Western Open, the 1967 Texas Open, the 1968 Sahara Invitational, the 1972 Byron Nelson Classic and the 1979 Tallahassee Open. He played in 591 events and made 422 cuts. He later played another 466 times on the PGA Tour Champions, winning 22 times on the senior circuit. His last professional start was in 2016.

In 1989, he was awarded the Bob Jones Award by the U.S. Golf Association. He was inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992 and he remains the lone Puerto Rican in the Hall.