Loose Impediments: The Matador Routine of Chi Chi Rodriguez

Chi Chi Rodriguez grew up in poverty learning to play golf in the sugar cane fields of Rio Pierdras, Puerto Rico. The ambitiousness of Chi Chi was evident at an early age as he fashioned guava tree branches into a golf clubs and used metal cans as a golf balls.

Chi Chi’s talent and creativity led him to a successful PGA Tour career winning eight times between 1963 and 1979 against the likes of Nicklaus, Palmer and Player, also known as the big three.

But it was Chi Chi’s matador routine that gave him celebrity status and brought him the recognition of golf galleries. In an interview with WorldGolf.com, Chi Chi explains his famous and sometimes controversial matador routine.

… When I was on the tour, I would throw my hat on top of the hole after I made a birdie putt. People started complaining, saying I was damaging the area around the hole. Commissioner Joe Dye, who was a great guy, asked if I could do something else.

And the one thing that all Spanish speaking people have in common is the love for bullfighting. I don’t like bullfighting. The only good thing about it is they give the meat of the dead bull to the poor people. But they [the PGA Tour] asked me to do something different, so I did the matador: The hole was the bull, the putter was my sword, I’d lure the bull out of the corner, I’d stop the bull, clean its blood off my blade and put the sword away. It was all in good fun.

Chi Chi’s comedic and flamboyant matador routine brought a level of showmanship and excitement that hadn’t been seen in the reserved world of professional golf.

The anticipation of Chi Chi revealing his sword after a birdie or eagle will always be one of golf’s greatest and fascinating rituals.