INTRODUCTION from The Sports Time Traveler™
As soon as I learned that Chi Chi Rodriguez had passed away last week, I knew I had to make the virtual trip back precisely 60 years to the scene of one of Chi Chi’s greatest weekends.
Below is my report.
But first, a “Flash Summary” if you just have time for the scoop in 15 seconds.
SPOILER ALERT - The summary gives away the climax of the story.
FLASH SUMMARY
60 years ago last weekend, little Chi Chi Rodriguez showed he could be more than just a golf showman.
He won a “near major tournament,” the 1964 Western Open, by outdueling Arnold Palmer down the stretch and destroying Jack Nicklaus, who finished a distant third.
Chi Chi did it in the same week that he was featured in Sports Illustrated.
Post-victory articles, by some of the greatest sportswriters of the time, celebrated Chi Chi’s fan friendly style of play.
It was perhaps the best week of Chi Chi’s life in the sport.
And now the full article, for those that wish to have the full Chi Chi experience.
CHICAGO - August 14, 1964
About 10 miles northwest of Wrigley Field lies The Tam O’Shanter Country Club. This past weekend it was host to the Greatest Golf Show on Earth.
Officially, the event being held was the Western Open, one of the oldest and most important tournaments on the PGA TOUR. Not long ago the Western Open was considered by some to be a “major.”
But the 61st rendition of the tournament might as well have been called, “The Chi Chi Show,” because Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez made it the most entertaining golf tournament of the year as he delighted the record crowd.
Many came to see Chi Chi last weekend because he was featured in the current, August 10, 1964, issue of Sports Illustrated which hit newsstands just before the Western Open got underway.
SI writer, Dan Jenkins, described Chi Chi, in the sub-heading of the article, as, “the brash song-and-dance man who delights galleries (and annoys fellow pros) with his japes off the tee and his jigs on the green.”
Jenkins explained that Chi Chi, who is presently 9th on the 1964 money list, is developing a following in his 5th year on tour as he delights the crowds both with his antics and his mammoth drives, totally unexpected from someone who stands just 5’7” and weights not much over 120.
Jenkins note that, “His Bandidos sometimes outnumber Arnie's Army, his tee shots sometimes outdistance Jack Nicklaus'.”
The SI article also described how many of his fellow touring pros are not thrilled with his on course antics, although The King, Arnold Palmer told Dan Jenkins, “Personally, I like him… I think a little of his clowning around goes a long way."
Jack Nicklaus also had kind words for Chi Chi in the magazine, “I do think his cutting up has a tendency to bother some of the players who have trouble concentrating, but I realize we need Chi Chi's kind of color in the game."
Jenkins also devoted a large portion of the article to describing a serious side of Chi Chi, his struggles growing up poor in Puerto Rico and his reflections on the touring pros who are not appreciative of his constant interactions with the gallery.
Overall it was a highly flattering piece.
And now my daily reports on the 1964 Western Open.
THE FIRST ROUND - August 6, 1964
The Sports Illustrated article must have been a real confidence builder for Chi Chi. On his opening 9 holes he birdied the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th holes.
5 consecutive birdies.
Chi Chi nearly made it 6 straight birds, as his 20 foot putt on the 8th hole was, “dead center inches short,” according to Charles Bartlett of the Chicago Tribune.
After the round, Chi Chi said, “It hurt me to miss that birdie putt on No. 8, because I wanted to seven birdies in a row. I knew I’d birdie No. 9.”
He did birdie the 9th.
Chi Chi went out in 30, 6 under par.
He came home in 34, including a birdie on the final hole, for an 18 hole score of 64 and good for a tie for the lead with Billy Casper.
Bill Jaus of the Chicago Daily News described Chi Chi on the course, “He is a naturally engaging little guy, and the working folk who pluck down a fin apiece to see tourney golf realize this.
“They pull for him. He hams it up too for the fans’ benefit. They love it.”
“I’ve always been like that,” Chi Chi told Jaus. “Money’s not everything… Oh sure I want a little spending money… but I’d rather make friends.”
Always joking, Chi Chi provided some great lines for the press corps here in Chicago after the round. Apparently, Chi Chi had gone to see a White Sox game last night before the tournament began. His old semi-pro teammate from Puerto Rico, Juan Pizzaro, was pitching and threw a 13-inning complete game 3 - 1 loss to the Tigers. Chi Chi told the press after his opening 64, “I was a baseball pitcher, too. In golf the last three weeks I have been in a slump, like your White Sox. I’m little, but I can throw fast. Maybe I could sign with the Mets?”
Chi Chi was making light of the fact that the Mets, here in 1964, are among the worst teams in baseball history.
THE SECOND ROUND - August 7, 1964
On a day when only 29 of the 150 golfers could break par, Chi Chi followed up his spectacular opening round with a 2 under 69. While Thursday co-leader Casper, could only manage an even par 71.
However, the defending champion, Arnold Palmer, hit 17 of 18 greens, and had 6 one-putt greens, including a 65-foot birdie putt at no. 6. Palmer carded a 66 to give him a 2-round total of 134, placing him 1 behind Chi Chi.
At the end of the day, Chi Chi was leading the Western Open.
But Chi Chi was self-critical of his round. He told Bill Jauss of the Chicago Daily News, “I played it too commercial.” Jauss explained that Chi Chi meant he was playing for pars.
THE THIRD ROUND - August 8, 1964
Chi Chi and Arnie both had great finishes on Saturday.
Palmer birdied 2 of the final 4 holes to cap off a 67.
Chi Chi put his approach shot at 18 just 3 feet from the pin and sank the birdie putt for a 68.
The pair were tied for the lead at 201 after 3 rounds.
Hammond, Indiana sports columnist Gary Galloway wrote in the Sunday morning paper on August 9th a piece about how Chi Chi doesn’t stop entertaining when the round is over. After the 3rd round, Chi Chi spent a long time talking to the press.
Hammond wrote, “Chi Chi will sit in on a golf bull session as long as there’s anybody around to listen. This one took place in an unlikely corner of the Tam locker room. Unglamorous perhaps to be sitting on a concrete floor, legs sprawled under a bench.”
Chi Chi told a story of how when he worked as a caddie, the only time he could get onto a course to play after the course closed. “I learned to play a round of golf in 45 minutes. I had to. The course shut down at 6:30.. I only had 45 minutes till dark and most of the time the pro was chasing me.”
Then Chi Chi told stories of playing baseball in Puerto Rico.
“One-time I strike out 18 in a no hit, no run game against some pros, and they didn’t want to play when they saw me warming up. Just a skinny kid they thought. I showed them.”
THE FINAL ROUND - August 9, 1964
Going into Sunday, Chi Chi seemed to have found the perfect balance between clowning and contending. The 28 year old, 5th year pro, who has only won 2 PGA events on tour, was tied for the 54 hole lead with Arnold Palmer at 11 under par.
Arnold Palmer, the winner of this year’s Masters, is also the defending Western Open champion.
The pair were 4 shots clear of Don Massengale, who held sole possession of the 3rd, and the rest of the field. And what a field it was.
Lurking 5 shots behind, in 4th place, was Billy Casper, winner of 22 PGA tournaments including the 1959 U.S. Open.
In a tie for 5th, 6 shots behind, was reigning U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi.
And 7 shots back was the always dangerous Jack Nicklaus. The 24-year-old phenom, has already won 3 majors (5 if you include his 2 U.S. Amateur victories). Nicklaus has been in the top 3 in 8 of the past 11 majors. And while he didn’t win one this year, he came in 2nd in the Masters, the British Open and the PGA. Nicklaus shot a 6 under par 65 yesterday. Another 65 could win the tournament. And you know that’s what Jack must have been thinking.
Nicklaus started hot, with birdies on 2, 3 and 4 to pull to 7 under par just 4 shots off the lead.
And Massengale, who was paired with Palmer, birdied the first 3 holes to get to 10 under par.
That made it interesting.
However, neither of them got any closer. Massengale shot a 70 and Jack shot a 67. They both finished tied for 3rd, 7 shots behind the ultimate winner.
Arnold Palmer was determined to be that winner. He went 3 under par on the first 7 holes to reach minus 14.
Chi Chi who was playing ahead of Palmer’s group was 1 under on his first 7 holes, and fell 2 strokes back of Palmer.
Then Palmer bogeyed the 8th and his lead on Chi Chi was down to a single stroke.
Both players parred the 9th and 10th.
Palmer still held a 1 shot lead with 8 to play.
At the 159 yard par 3 11th hole, Chi Chi hit his 6 iron tee shot to 2 and a half feet from the hole. He sunk the putt to tie Palmer for the lead.
Then at the 433 yard par 4 12th hole, Chi Chi hit his 2nd shot, an 8 iron, to 12 feet from the hole. Again he made the birdie putt. Chi Chi now had a 1 shot lead over The King.
Palmer tied it back up at minus 14, when he also birdied the 12th.
On the 13th hole, a 434 yard par 4, Chi Chi’s 2nd shot was another beautiful 8 iron that landed 15 feet from the pin. He then sank his 3rd consecutive birdie putt to go to minus 15 and re-take a 1 shot lead over Arnie.
This time Palmer couldn’t match Chi Chi, and the 5’7” 124 pound player from Puerto Rico held his 1 shot advantage with 4 holes remaining.
On the par 5 15th, Chi Chi reached the green in 2 and then 2 putted from 40 feet.
That took Chi Chi to minus 16, and it gave him a 2 shot lead.
But Arnie also reached the 15th in 2 and he was only 25 feet from the hole. His eagle putt “grazed the cup,” according to Charles Bartlett in the Chicago Tribune.
Arnie tapped in for a birdie and that put him just a stroke behind Chi Chi with 3 holes to play.
Chi Chi then carded a 3 at the par 3 16th.
Several minutes later Palmer hit his tee shot at 16 to just 10 feet from the hole. Barlett wrote that Palmer, “just missed a 10 foot chance for a deuce.”
Chi Chi was still in front by 1 shot with 2 holes to play.
Chi Chi parred the 367 yard par 4 17th. But Palmer overshot the green at 17 and left himself 25 feet from the hole on his 3rd shot. He missed that putt and bogeyed the hole.
Chi Chi was again up by 2.
On 18, Chi Chi hit into the right trap on his 9 iron approach shot. As he hit out of the sand he was trying to hole the shot. It landed 4 feet past. He made the putt for the par.
On that 4 foot putt Chi Chi put on a show for the crowd as he covered the hole with his hat and then picked up the hat to peek at the hole where his ball resided.
Chi Chi was now in the clubhouse with a course record 268 (minus 16).
He had carded a brilliant 31 on the back par 35 back 9 with 4 birdies on the final 8 holes. Chi Chi’s 268 bested the prior record of 269 by Byron Nelson in 1945.
However Arnold Palmer still had a chance. His tee shot at 18 landed about 25 yards away from the plaque in the fairway that denotes the spot where 11 years earlier Lew Worsham had holed a 104 wedge shot that won the first ever golf tournament to be broadcast nationally on television.
Palmer’s shot settled 18 feet from the cup. Then he drained the birdie.
But Chi Chi had won the Western Open by one stroke.
The Monday, August 10, 1964 Chicago Tribune sports section had this banner headline celebrating Chi Chi’s victory:
The article also included an innovative golf box score that described the performances of the top golfers.
You can see for example that Chi Chi hit 16 greens in regulation (what the Tribune called “Php. - putting areas hit in par,” during the final round. None of the other leaders had more than 15.
With the win, Chi Chi earned an $11,000 check, boosting his earnings for the year to over $46,000. He is now 6th on the PGA money list for 1964.
The National Media Embrace Chi Chi Following his Victory
What has happened in the past several days since Chi Chi’s win over Arnold Palmer in this “near major” event has been quite incredible.
Sportswriters around the country have taken the opportunity to introduce Chi Chi Rodriguez to casual golf fans in the most flattering way.
In the August 10, 1964, Atlanta Constitution, sports editor Jesse Outlar, wrote a long piece about Chi Chi that included this:
“For the first time Rodriguez’ Band of Bandidos outnumbered Arnie’s Army.”
“Sportswriters seldom applaud a winner in the press room, but Rodriguez was given a rousing round of applause as he strolled into the clubhouse.”
“A man wanted to know if he was aware that he was breaking Byron Nelson’s course record… ‘No,’ said Chi Chi… ‘But if my father were still living and heard about it he would say, ‘You broke it, you pay for it.’
Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times, who writes a nationally syndicated column, decided it was time to showcase the “Happy Fella,” as he titled his article on August 11, 1964.
Murray’s description of Chi Chi included these classic passages:
“Chi Chi Rodriguez plays golf as if it were a New Year’s Eve party. When he holes a putt, he does a little South American dance… His name, they suggest, should be “Cha Cha” Rodriguez.”
“When he birdies a hole, he waves his arms in the air as if he has just liberated Paris.”
“He’s so small, if he teed the ball up too high, he couldn’t reach it, and so spidery, nine out of ten caddies would rather carry him than his bag.”
“The first time he out-bombed Jack Nicklaus off the tee they checked the ball for dynamite and the clubhead for ticking sounds. But he does it so regularly now the only sound you hear is the opponents’ teeth gnashing.”
“Chi Chi plays the game as if it were meant to be fun.”
“You probably saw Chi Chi on TV sweetly lift his first major golf tournament, the Western Open, from Arnold Palmer, over the weekend. Arnold had a good charge going and a mere one-stroke deficit going into the last three holes. Normally, that’s like being two ahead for him.”
“But Chi Chi strolled around as if he were another spectator. He parred serenely home, waved his arms in an Eisenhower salute, dropped his hat over sunk putts, and had the time of his life. He LOOKED around for TV cameras and patiently waited till they could get his good side.”
“It was Palmer who looked as if he were momentarily expecting a hurricane.”
“The golf tour may be a lot of fun from here on out with Chi Chi around.”
Bill Carter, wrote a story on Chi Chi that appeared on August 12, 1964, in the Alexandria, Louisiana Town Talk. Here’s what Carter had to say about Chi Chi:
“Palmer, Tony Lema, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Ken Venturi and other top golfers have their special following… All of them, however, may soon switch over to a little guy named Chi Chi Rodriguez… If the fans want to noise it up a bit, Chi Chi will join them.
“Chi Chi, who could diet over the weekend and qualify for a mount in the Kentucky Derby, likes to ham it up, himself. He enjoys kidding with the spectators. In fact, he seems capable of adding some refreshing color to a now-popular sport.
“Cheers to Chi Chi. Whether he wins or loses, and whether the pros like it or not, I hope he continues to add color…
“If he wins over the other supporters, all the pros may have to turn comic.”
My favorite article on Chi Chi Rodriguez came out this morning, August 14th, in the Lansing State Journal. Lad Slingerlend devoted his sports column to Chi Chi’s victory at the Western Open. Here are the excerpts that caught my attention.
“Chi Chi has arrived… always a crowd pleaser… he won the Western Open golf championship and now must be considered a top performer by his fellow pros.”
“Chi Chi is a showman from the word go and entertains the gallery with his antics from the first tee to the 18th green to say nothing of the practice area. Now that he has won a major tournament, his Bandidos will double in number.
Slingerlend also described something I never knew before - how Chi Chi got his nickname:
“As a youngster he leaned towards baseball and idolized a player named Chi Chi Flores. Hence Juan became Chi Chi.”
CLOSING NOTE from The Sports Time Traveler™
Back here in 2024, I was surprised that none of the coverage of Chi Chi in 1964 mentioned his now-famous sword dance that long-time golf fans probably most vividly recall when conjuring up visions of Chi Chi Rodriguez.
The best version of it that I have found is in this short YouTube video from the 1984 Heritage Classic when Chi Chi was 48.
There may never be another golfer that entertains on the course quite like Chi Chi Rodriguez. But it would be nice if some of the top golfers today could find a way to emulate a little bit of Chi Chi to keep his spirit alive.
POSTSCRIPT
While I was writing this article I had an interesting encounter with a United Airlines gate agent in the Denver airport. I had an issue with a flight delay and I struck up a conversation with the agent who was remarkably helpful. He told me he was from Puerto Rico. So I asked him on a whim if he had ever met Chi Chi Rodriguez. His face lit up as he told me he had indeed had one encounter with Chi Chi. I then asked him what was Chi Chi like. And he told me that Chi Chi was as friendly and funny as could be. I wasn’t surprised. Chi Chi was the real deal, a genuine kind soul. We will all miss the goodness he shared with everyone.
Chi Chi Rodriguez - The Grand Showman of Golf