Notice the title says Scrappy Hall of Famers and not just Hall of Famers. I thought I'd do a few tributes to guys who maybe were not destined to be golfers but who became pros just the same and either influenced the game or were big crowd pleasers. Why not start with the first pro I ever saw, Chi Chi Rodriguez.
As a kid, and I'm talking like 6 years old, Chi Chi switched from working in the cane fields to working at the local golf course; not because of his love of golf but because it paid more. He eventually became a caddy and that's when the bug bit him.
By age 16, Rodriguez was setting course records, and at 17 he finished second in the Puerto Rico Open. Following a 2-year stint in the U.S. Army, Rodriguez began working at Dorado Beach Resort and came under the tutelage of former touring pro Pete Cooper. Cooper mentored Chi Chi's game, and then, with financial backing from resort investor Laurence Rockefeller, Rodriguez began playing the PGA Tour in 1960.
And that's when I saw him. He played in the Eastern Open at Mount Pleasant GC in Baltimore. My Dad took me and we wound up following this little Puerto Rican rookie because he was a great showman. I don't remember who won the tournament, all I remember is Chi Chi chit chatting with the gallery while most of the others ignored us.
I can not remember who he was paired with other than his first name was Doug and he was also the gregarious type so they made a great team. However I think Dougs wit was the result of whatever was in the thermos he kept drinking from.
Over 20 years Chi Chi only won 8 tournaments in the PGA. Yet his putter sword dance, his trademark straw hat, and his Yogi Berra like quotes kept him a favorite with the crowd.
Chi Chi Rodriguez: "Sure, I'm making a lot of money now, but years ago the IRS would send me get-well cards."
Chi Chi Rodriguez: "I've heard people say putting is 50 percent technique and 50 percent mental. I really believe it is 50 percent technique and 90 percent positive thinking. See, but that adds up to 140 percent, which is why nobody is 100 percent sure how to putt."
Chi Chi Rodriguez: "I never exaggerate. I just remember big."
Chi Chi found his stride when he started playing in the Senior Tournaments winning 22. But you had to love him most when he played skins. First of all I love that format and I wish they could wire all the golfers like that. But it was really obvious that Chi Chi loved winning at skins just like a regular guy. And I guess that was a lot of his appeal. Everyone could relate to him.
So hats off to an old Duffer who has the questionable honor of being the first inducted into the Scrappy Hall of Fame.
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