[kiryandil]

Rodríguez would take a branch from a guava tree and turn it into a golf club. Using a metal can as a "golf ball," he would practice what he had seen the "real" golfers do, teaching himself how to play golf. By the time he was nine years old, he was proficient at golf, and in 1947, at the age of 12, he scored a 67.

In 1954, when Rodríguez was 19, he joined the United States Army. During his breaks, he would visit whichever golf course was nearby, where he continued to perfect his game.

I am glad to have known of him. RIP

[zeestephen]

Re: "Chi Chi joined the Army at age 19."

Interesting.

Just a few weeks ago, I watched a bio of Lee Trevino on the Golf Channel.

Trevino enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17 and served four years.

Trevino said that was the most important experience in his life, and that he would never have had the self-discipline to become a professional golfer without it.