When people think about pro golf, the first polarizing
athletes that come to mind are Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, but many do not
know the great story of Juan Rodriguez who is golf’s first Latino Hall of Famer.
Juan Antionio “Chi Chi” Rodriguez came from a poor family in
Puerto Rico. To help support his family, Rodriguez made money by becoming a
golf caddy. Although he could not afford a golf club, he made one from a guava
tree branch and would swing at a metal can that was his ball. He learned how to
swing by watching the golfers at the club he worked at and began to teach
himself. Rodriguez continued to play even when he joined the United States army
when he was 19-years-old.
In 1963, when Rodriguez was 28-years-old, he won the Denver
Open then eight titles on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour
between 1963 and 1979. In 1985, Rodriguez was eligible to play in the Champions
Tour (also known as the Senior PGA Tour). Between the years of 1986 and 1993 he
won 22 tournament victories. He became the first player to win the same event
three years in a row.
In 1992, Rodriguez was inducted into the World Golf Hall of
Fame as the first Puerto Rican honored. Today he teaches children to play golf
with the same determination and drive that he taught himself.
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