Rodríguez, Juan

Rodríguez, (Juan) “Chichi” (1937–  ) golfer; born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. Born into poverty, Rodríguez began as a caddy at age 6, and practiced on tin cans with a homemade golf club fashioned from a branch of a guava tree. It has been said that Puerto Rican golf was born with "Chichi," who came to prominence in the 1960s, when he was one of the top ten in the Professional Golf Circuit. His Horatio Alger success story, philanthropy, and jovial manner made him a great favorite with the fans. It was said that pound for pound (he weighed between 112 and 130 pounds), he was the longest hitter in the history of golf: his drives averaged 250 yards and he was known to hit 350 yards. In 1967 he published Chichi's Secrets of Power Golf.