Chi Chi Rodriguez

PGA TOUR Victories (8)

• 1963 Denver Open Invitational
• 1964 Lucky International Open, Western Open
• 1967 Texas Open Invitational
• 1968 Sahara Invitational
• 1972 Byron Nelson Golf Classic
• 1973 Greater Greensboro Open
• 1979 Tallahassee Open

PGA TOUR Champions Victories (22)

• 1986 Senior Tournament Players Championship, Digital Seniors Classic, United Virgina Bank Seniors
• 1987 General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship, Vantage At The Dominion, United Hospitals Senior Golf Championship, Silver Pages Classic, Senior Players Reunion Pro-Am, Digital Seniors Classic, GTE Northwest Classic
• 1988 Doug Sanders Kingwood Celebrity Classic, Digital Seniors Classic
• 1989 Crestar Classic
• 1990 Las Vegas Senior Classic, Ameritech Senior Open, Sunwest-Charley Pride Classic
• 1991 GTE West Classic, Vintage Arco Invitational, Las Vegas Senior Classic, Murata Reunion Pro-Am
• 1992 Ko Olina Senior Invitational
• 1993 Burnet Senior Classic

Additional Victories (4)

• 1976 Pepsi Mixed Team Championship [with JoAnn Washam]
• 1979 Bahamas Open
• 1988 Senior Skins Game
• 1989 Senior Skins Game

PLAYOFF RECORD

PGA TOUR (3-1)

• 1964 Defeated Don January, Lucky International Open
• 1966 Lost to Jacky Cupit, Cajun Classic Open Invitational
• 1968 Defeated Dale Douglass, Sahara Invitational
• 1972 Defeated Billy Casper, Byron Nelson Golf Classic

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS (1-7)

• 1986 Lost to Jim Ferree, Gene Littler, Greater Grand Rapids Open
• 1989 Lost to Dave Hill, Bell Atlantic/St Christopher's Classic
• 1989 Lost to Bob Charles, Charles Coody, General Tire Las Vegas Classic
• 1990 Lost to Mike Fetchick, Jimmy Powell, Lee Trevino, NYNEX Commemorative
• 1991 Defeated Jim Colbert, Murata Reunion Pro-Am
• 1991 Lost to Jack Nicklaus, U.S. Senior Open
• 1991 Lost to George Archer, John Brodie, Security Pacific Senior Classic
• 1993 Lost to George Archer, Jim Colbert, First of America Classic

Personal

• One of the most popular figures in all of sports.
• Has raised more than $5 million for his Chi Chi Rodriguez Foundation in Clearwater, Fla., with his "Chi Chi and the Bear" and "Chi Chi and the Zinger" golf outings, featuring Jack Nicklaus and Paul Azinger.
• As a boy in Puerto Rico, gravitated to golf by hitting tin cans with a guava tree stick.
• Worked as a caddie until joining the U.S. Army at age 19.
• Biggest thrill in golf was winning his first professional event, the Denver Open Invitational, at Denver CC in 1963.
• Favorite movie is "Boys Town" and favorite book is False Witness.
• Says one of his biggest thrills outside of golf was meeting Mother Teresa in the Philippines and talking with her for 45 minutes.
• Some of his favorite entertainers are Paul Anka and the late Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Favorite all-time pro athlete is Babe Ruth and enjoys the TV show "America's Most Wanted."
• Lists favorite foods as rice and beans, pork chops and buffalo.
• Among his heroes are Mother Teresa, General George Patton and Mahatma Gandhi.
• Served as the grand marshal for the 1994 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif.
• Was honored in early December, 2010 by the U.S. House of Representatives for his commitment to programs assisting Latino and at-risk youth. Resolution (H.R. 1430) was introduced by Congressman Joe Baca (D. Calif.) and approved by the House with a 405-2 vote.

Special Interests

• Helping kids, bird watching

Career Highlights

2015 Season

• Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge: Lone appearance was in April when he teamed with Bob Murphy to finish 11th in the Legends Division at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf.

2007 Season

• Allianz Championship: Finished 78th at the Allianz Championship.

2003 Season

Played in just nine official events.

• Legends of Golf-Raphael Division: Competed in the Raphael Division at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, and along with partner Larry Ziegler, finished T2 in the 36-hole event, two strokes behind winners Gary Koch/Roger Maltbie.

2000 Season

• FleetBoston Classic: T3 at the FleetBoston Classic after three straight sub-par rounds, his best finish since T2 at the 1996 Ralphs Senior Classic in Los Angeles.

1998 Season

Year came to a halt after a mild heart attack in mid-October. Scheduled to play in Sacramento at the Raley's Gold Rush Classic, but was forced to withdraw after having an angioplasty performed.

1996 Season

• Raley's Gold Rush Classic: Made his fourth hole-in-one on the Champions Tour in the opening round of the Raley's Gold Rush Classic.

1994 Season

Became a member of the World Humanitarian Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.

1993 Season

Received the Herb Graffis Award in 1993 from the PGA of America.

• Burnet Senior Classic: Last of his 22 official victories came at the inaugural Burnet Senior Classic, when he closed with 65 to beat Jim Colbert and Bob Murphy by two strokes.

1992 Season

Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.

• Ko Olina Senior Invitational: Won the Ko Olina Senior Invitational in Hawaii by six strokes near the end of the year.

1991 Season

Won all four of his events within seven weeks early in the season and finished the year fourth on the final money list.

• U.S. Senior Open: Almost won the U.S. Senior Open, but fell to Jack Nicklaus in an 18-hole playoff at Oakland Hills CC near Detroit.
• Las Vegas Senior Classic: Successfully defended his Las Vegas Senior Classic title and then defeated Jim Colbert in a playoff for the Murata Reunion title, his 20th Champions Tour career victory.
• Vintage Arco Invitational: Birdied the last hole to win the Vintage ARCO Invitational near Palm Springs.
• GTE West Classic: Claimed the rain-shortened GTE West Classic with a pair of 66s.

1990 Season

Won three events and was among the top three in nine events overall.

• Ameritech Senior Open: Breezed to a seven-stroke victory at the Ameritech Senior Open at Grand Traverse, Mich.
• Las Vegas Senior Classic: Also triumphed at the Las Vegas Senior Classic and the Sunwest Bank/Charley Pride Classic.

1989 Season

Received the Bob Jones Award in 1989, the highest honor bestowed by the USGA.

• Crestar Classic: Came from two strokes back to defeat Jim Dent and Dick Rhyan for the Crestar Classic title near Richmond.

1988 Season

Received the 1988 Fred Raphael Award for his service to the game, and was honored by the Golf Course Superintendents Association with the Old Tom Morris Award.

• Digital Seniors Classic: Became the first player in Champions Tour annals to win the same event three consecutive years when he claimed the Digital Seniors Classic in Concord, Mass.
• Doug Sanders Kingwood Celebrity Classic: Won the Doug Sanders Kingwood Celebrity Classic by two strokes over Walt Zembriski and Bob Charles.

1987 Season

Became the first Champions Tour player to surpass the half-million dollar mark in single-season earnings and earned his second consecutive Byron Nelson Award for the lowest scoring average on the circuit. Won a career-high seven times, including three in a row and a Champions Tour-record four consecutive events that he entered. Honored by former President Ronald Reagan with the National Puerto Rican Coalition Life Achievement Award in 1987.

• Silver Pages Classic: Set a Champions Tour record with eight straight birdies (holes 6-13) en route to a win at the Silver Pages Classic in Oklahoma City.
• General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship: Claimed his last Champions Tour major championship title, the General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship, coming from six strokes back on the final day to overtake Dale Douglass.
• Byron Nelson Award: Earned his second consecutive Byron Nelson Award with a scoring average of 70.07.

1986 Season

Had an outstanding rookie year, winning three tournaments and finishing second seven times. Received the Card Walker Award in 1986 from the PGA TOUR for his contributions to junior golf.

• Digital Seniors Classic: Edged Gary Player by a stroke for the Digital Seniors Classic and was a three-stroke victor over Don January at the United Virginia Bank Seniors.
• Senior Tournament Players Championship: First Champions Tour win was a major, the Senior Tournament Players Championship at Canterbury GC near Cleveland.
• Byron Nelson Award: Earned his first Byron Nelson Award, with a scoring average of 69.65.

1985 Season

• Quadel Senior Classic: Debuted on the Champions Tour in the final event on the schedule, T5 at the Quadel Seniors Classic in Boca Raton, Fla.

1981 Season

Recipient of the Ambassador of Golf Award in 1981.

1979 Season

• Tallahassee Open: Last PGA TOUR victory came in 1979 at the Tallahassee Open with a tournament-record, 19-under-par 269, a mark equaled by Jeff Sluman six years later.

1973 Season

• Ryder Cup Matches: Member of the 1973 U.S. Ryder Cup team.

1972 Season

Most productive year on TOUR was 1972, with $113,503 in official earnings.

• Byron Nelson Golf Classic: Came back from elbow surgery in 1971 with a playoff victory over Billy Casper at the 1972 Byron Nelson Classic.

1963 Season

• Denver Open Invitational: First PGA TOUR win came at the 1963 Denver Open.