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Sports Watch
JERRY'S Kids? Forget it. When it comes to helping youngsters, nobody can touch Chi Chi Rodriguez. Chi Chi gives
his aloha to
young golfersMore than 140 young golfers were more than eager to call themselves Chi Chi's Kids for his sponsorship of the 54-hole World Junior Masters that ended yesterday at the Makaha West Golf Course.
The popular Senior PGA Tour golfer took a week off his busy schedule to be on hand to hold a clinic and present trophies to the age-group winners.
More important, his largess for the second year in a row enabled all of them, including one of his nephews from Puerto Rico, to enjoy a week of fun and golf in Hawaii.
Rodriguez was more than willing to help tournament director Mark Kalilikane.
"Mark has done so much to work with kids who can't afford to play. That's a great gesture," Rodriguez said.
Actually, Chi Chi credits Iwalani, his Hawaii-born wife of 35 years, who heard that Kalilikane could use some financial help to put on the tournament.
"I told her, why don't you get involved. You have some money," Rodriguez said.
So it became an all-in-the-Rodriguez-family project.
Helping young golfers is nothing new for the couple.
One of the most popular figures in all of sports, Rodriguez has raised more than $5 million for Chi Chi's Kids through his Florida-based foundation.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, he knows what it was like being poor and trying to play golf. He now wants kids to have better opportunities to learn to play the game than he did.
Maybe they'll never attain the success that he has achieved -- 30 PGA victories, 20 on the Senior Tour -- but at least they'll have a better chance to do so than he did.
"I'll always help youngsters 'til I die," he said. "It gives me something to do."
Thoughts of mortality come easily when one reaches a 65th birthday, which Chi Chi will do this October.
"At our age, we don't buy green bananas," said Rodriguez.
It's a great line, which he uses often. Chi Chi regrets that he didn't originate it, although many think that he did.
"Arnold Palmer said it first, but I'll take credit for it," he said.
Still, Rodriguez is looking forward to being 65.
"Then maybe I can shoot my age. It's easier when you get older," said Rodriguez, who hopes to keep playing on the Senior Tour until he's 71, God willing.
He hopes to play about seven more events this year, including the EMC-2 Kaanapali Classic.
When he finally retires, Rodriguez's goal is building a golf school in Puerto Rico, not only for youngsters but for adults as well.
"I'll have nothing but tour players as teachers," he said.
His immediate project is an inaugural Seniors World Tournament for amateurs Sept. 11-13 at Mauna Kea.
Proceeds from the tournament will benefit junior golf in Hawaii, according to Chi Chi.
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: Kevin Hayashi, who plays on the Golden Bear Tour in Florida, came home to play in the Aloha Section PGA Stroke Play Championship, even if it meant missing this week's stop.
It's because the local stroke-play champion gets to go to the second stage of the PGA Qualifying School, skipping the first hurdle.
"It means a lot," said Hayashi, the second place finisher to Maui's Brian Sasada, who hadn't heard of the enticing fringe benefit.
"I told him he's got to go," Hayashi said.
