Quibbling about awards invariably centers on who receives them and who deserves them, since they are often not the same people. (See: Kissinger, Henry and the Nobel Peace Prize.)
Golf loves nothing more than touting its values, real and imagined, so every organization in the sport contributes to a healthy disbursement of baubles. Most are bestowed on great players for their accomplishments, and in many cases are named for those folks.
Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Bob Jones, Harry Vardon, Glenna Collett-Vare, and Louise Suggs all have awards named after them, some more than one. The slew of annual prizes handed out by the PGA Tour mostly acknowledge achievements inside the ropes that are readily supportable by metrics, like scoring averages and cash pocketed. Only one of the Tour’s accolades, the Payne Stewart Award, speaks to what the recipient does after scorecards are signed and the cameras are turned off. Elsewhere in the golf industry, two awards — those named for Bob Jones and Old Tom Morris — also nod to the manner in which honorees have conducted themselves and the imprint they’ve made.
The name of Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez is on the latter two trophies as a legatee, but no prize is presented in his honor. That’s because his career record doesn’t belong on the plane of Palmer and Nicklaus. Eight PGA Tour wins and 22 on the senior circuit made him an occasional scene-stealing cameo actor among superstars. Yet he’s in the World Golf Hall of Fame, which hints at a deeper impact not easily summarized via a list of tournament successes. His passing on August 8 at the age of 88 is an opportunity not only to reconsider how to best honor the life of Rodriguez, but to reassess what traits the game ought to highlight and encourage among current and future generations of players.
Chi Chi Rodriguez signs autographs at the Nashawtuc Country Club in 2006.
When sports legends die, it often serves to illustrate how much has changed since their prime. Usually for the better, but sometimes not. So it is with Chi Chi. We see anew how the senior tour became corporatized beyond recognition, even in its rebranding as the PGA Tour Champions. Rodriguez was unceremoniously shown the door a couple decades ago when his scores were thought too undignified. That was the moment when the Tour ceased to view itself as an entertainment product built on exhibiting aged stars and more like an annuity opportunity for journeymen who…
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