A Tribute to Chi Chi Rodriguez: Golf Legend Gone at 88

Chi Chi Rodriguez was proof that stats alone don’t make someone a hall of famer.

Rodriguez, who died Thursday at age 88, was a trailblazer — becoming the first Puerto Rican to play on the PGA Tour — and one of the most charismatic golfers the sport has seen.

As a boy in Puerto Rico, he said that he taught himself how to play by swinging a branch from a guava tree into a metal can. He also that he took every free moment he had to play golf while serving in the U.S. Army from 1955-57.

Rodriguez turned pro in 1960 and won eight times on the PGA Tour, and his best finish in a major was sixth at the 1981 U.S. Open. He had great success on what was then called the PGA Senior Tour, racking up 22 wins with two major victories. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.

But it was Rodriguez’s flair that made him one of the most popular golfers for decades.

A one-of-a-kind celebration.

Chi Chi Rodriguez explains his signature “sword dance.”

He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/XTsN9tzjCe

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 9, 2024

Along with a quick wit and jovial nature, Rodriguez’s signature was a “matador dance” where he acted like his club was a sword and stabbed the ball. He would perform the dance after making a birdie or eagle, which rankled some golfers but was extremely popular with fans. 

He was also a part of the philanthropic community in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for nearly 50 years. He founded the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation in 1979 in Clearwater. He often said that he gave back and made time for children because he did not have a proper childhood, working on a sugar plantation at the age of 7. 

A gifted player, entertainer and humanitarian, World Golf Hall of Famer Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez of Puerto Rico died on Thursday at 88.

A 30x @PGATOUR and @ChampionsTour winner, he played on the victorious 1973 @RyderCupUSA team and received the 1989 @USGA Bob Jones Award. pic.twitter.com/RzOvceTwcu

— Golf Hall of Fame (@GolfHallofFame) August 9, 2024

He spent his final years in Puerto Rico, where he was a partner in a golf community project. A cause of death was not announced.

Cover Image via NBC News