Aug. 9 (UPI) — Hall of Fame golfer Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, who rose from poverty in Puerto Rico and became one of the sport’s most popular players, has died, the PGA Tour announced. He was 88.
The PGA Tour announced Rodriguez’s death Thursday, but did not provide a cause.
“‘Chi Chi’ Rodriguez’s passion for charity and outreach was surpassed only by his incredible talent with a golf club in his hand,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a news release. “A vibrant, colorful personality both on and off the golf course, he will be missed dearly by the PGA Tour and those whose lives he touched in his mission to give back.
“The PGA Tour sends its deepest condolences to the entire Rodriguez family during this difficult time.”
“I never wanted to be like anybody else,” Rodriguez told Golf.com in 2016. “I wanted to be me. … You’ve gotta be different. You’ve gotta be yourself in the world. That’s what I always wanted to be.”
Rodriguez, a Rio Piedras native, was one of six children. He helped his father harvest sugarcane fields as a child and learned to play golf by hitting tin cans with guava tree limbs.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957 and joined the PGA Tour in 1960. Rodriguez earned eight wins on the PGA Tour, starting with the crown at the 1963 Denver Open Invitational.
He tied for sixth at the 1981 U.S. Open for his best finish at a major. He also tied for 10th twice at the Masters (1970, 1973).
Rodriguez went on to earn 22 wins on the Senior PGA Tour. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.
