Chi-Chi Rodriguez
...n golf, Rodriguez tried baseball and boxing. He decided he was too small to play these sports. The first tournament Rodriguez competed in with professionals was the 1955 Puerto Rico Open. He joined the United States Army shortly after the tournament for financial reasons. During his two years at Fort Sill, Oklahoma he kept only 22 dollars of his monthly pay and sent the other 50 dollars home to Puerto Rico. After his discharge from the army in 1957, he was hired as an assistant to Ed Dudley, then head professional at the Dorado Beach Hotel in Dorado, Puerto Rico, where Rodriguez would eventually become head pro. Under the sponsorship of Dudley, Gene Stout, who succeeded Dudley as head pro at Durado Beach, and cotton magnate John Weaver, Rodriguez joined the professional tour in 1960. It has been said that pound for pound Rodriguez is the longest hitter in the history of golf. At 5 foot, 7 inches with weights ranging from 112 to 130 pounds has at times driven a ball over 350 yards. He has consistently been at 250 yards and over throughout his career. Rodriguez is one of the great showmen in sports history. From his matador routine to his good-natured impersonations of fellow competitors, he is an entertainer at heart. Rodriguez’ career has spanned over 40 years. He has won 8 times on the PGA Tour, his first PGA title being at the Denver Open in 1963. Rodriguez also boasts 22 Senior Tour victories. He was inducted into PGA’s World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992, with career earnings of over 7 million d...