Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens during and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday. He was 88.
Rodriguez's death was announced by Carmelo Javier Ríos, a senator in Rodriguez’ native Puerto Rico. He didn't provide a cause of death.
Rodriguez said he learned to play golf by hitting tin cans with a guava tree stick and then found work as a caddie. He claimed he could shoot a 67 by age 12, according to a biography provided by the Chi Chi Rodriguez Management Group in Stow, Ohio. Rodriguez was perhaps best known for fairway antics that included twirling his club like a sword, sometimes referred to as his “matador routine,” or doing a celebratory dance, often with a shuffling salsa step, after making a birdie putt. He often imitated fellow players in what he insisted was meant as good-natured fun.
“They call it the widow-maker,” he said. “About 50 percent of the people who get this kind of heart attack die. So I beat the odds pretty good.”
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Chi Chi Rodriguez, Hall of Fame golfer known for antics on the greens, dies at 88Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens during and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday. He was 88.
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