MANILA, Philippines — Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, who rose from poverty in Puerto Rico to golf’s Hall of Fame, has died at age 88, the PGA Tour said Thursday.
During his three decades as a professional Rodriquez had 37 victories – including eight on the PGA Tour and 22 on the senior circuit.
Born into a poor Puerto Rican family, Rodriquez taught himself to play with rudimentary clubs carved from guava tree branches, striking crushed tin cans on baseball fields.