Hall of Fame golfer Juan 'Chi Chi' Rodriguez dies at 88

ESPN ^ | Associated Press

[dfwgator]

RIP “Chay Chay Rodrigueeze”.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

The Matador has retired his sword and cape!

Imagine a time when golfers had personality and weren't coached by "sports psychologists" into becoming indistinguishable androids.

[dfwgator]

[zeestephen]

After sinking a short putt, I remember he would take his cap off and snap it down over the hole, like it would keep the ball from popping out.

I played a lot of golf in my teenage years, and my golfing friends and I would practice that routine.

Chi Chi made it look effortless, but it was actually hard to do that.

[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

[Governor Dinwiddie]

There was a happy fellow! RIP.

[RonnG]

He was fun...he and Lee Trevino was great fun to watch.RIP

[ifinnegan]

We are Devo.

Rip chai chai rodwigueez

Great golfer and cool looking dude.

[RonnG]

He was fun...he and Lee Trevino were great fun to watch.RIP

[srmanuel]

If Les Nessman says then yes RIP

[raccoonradio]

The Devo album cover was based on a product
(Golf club cover?) made in Kent OH, Devo’s
home.
I went to a pop culture/comic con near Boston and saw Gerry Casale and “Josh 2”
of Devo speak then chatted with Gerry in
the hall, saying I regularly visited friends
in Akron and we ate at Luigi’s restaurant
(and how Akronite Chrissie Hynde had a
veggie restaurant there go out of
business). He recalled a visit the group
made to my Mass. college radio station
way back, nice guy. “I like your
song Beautiful World”, I said

On WKRP Johnny tried to point out how
Les mispronounced the name, but Les
ignored him

[raccoonradio]

https://youtu.be/q_fq4RQgwuA?si=3o_SALAzi3cIKCrB
Mr Rod-ri-geeze according to Les

[raccoonradio]

Rodrigweeze he said

[caddie]

Saw him play one time in a Senior event. I was only a few feet away.

He would gab with the gallery, laughing, kidding, and then instantly turn around and smack the ball.

No address, no waggle, just walked up and hit it.

Amazing golfer.

[xp38]

Sad news fellow Buckeye staters...

[Behind Liberal Lines]

https://youtu.be/7WmTsLO-hUI?si=wJW_t2fXqhoAWehv

[equaviator]

I went to the 1990 TPC Senior Mazda Tournament Players Championship in Dearborn and Chi-Chi really put on a show. It was around the time that he quit smoking but then after he thought it was hurting his game he started smoking again. Arnold, Jack, Lee, Chi-Chi, Gary, ...That was the best pro golf event I’ve ever been to, and I just happened to have my VHS camcorder with me. RIP Chi-Chi, with his putter in its holster.

[Bonemaker]

Golden age of golf coincided with golden age of America...Palmer, Nicklaus, Player, Trevino, Snead, Rodriguez et al. Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf captured a lot of it. I have a hard time naming any contemporary golfers other than Woods and he is past his prime.

[I-ambush]

I don’t think I ever heard his first name before.