In the Other Skins Game, Chi Chi Wins Big : Rodriguez Picks Up $300,000 After Beating Palmer in Sudden Death

Chi Chi Rodriguez, who barely earned expenses his final year on the regular PGA Tour, pocketed $260,000 for a morning’s work on Sunday.

Rodriguez, the dominant player on the Senior Tour since he became eligible in 1985, also dominated the first Senior Skins Game, taking $300,000 of the $360,000 total purse.

“I think I won just $37,000 my last year on the regular tour, three years ago,” Rodriguez, 52, said after he won three holes on the final day of the two-day event at Turtle Bay Resort on the north shore of Oahu.

“It’s hard to believe I could win this much money in one day. My game left me for years, and people stuck by me and I appreciate that.”

Rodriguez concluded his lucrative payday by winning a sixth playoff hole, worth $90,000, in a sudden-death showdown against Arnold Palmer.

Rodriguez also won another hole worth $90,000 Sunday, as well as one worth $80,000.

The $300,000 for two days is almost a third of what Rodriguez earned in 26 years on the PGA Tour.

Rodriguez, who won seven tournaments and $500,000 on the Senior Tour (50 and older) in 1987, had finished the first day of the Senior Skins as the top money-winner, winning three holes and $40,000.

Palmer won one hole and $20,000 on the first day and was winless the second, losing on the sixth playoff hole when he bogeyed and Rodriguez won with a routine par.

Sam Snead and Gary Player had bowed out earlier in the sudden-death playoff.

Player won the only other hole not captured by Rodriguez, for $40,000 on No. 12.

Snead, 75, did not win a hole during the competition.

“I was very disappointed in my play,” Palmer said. “My putting was just not good. I had putts for skins on practically every hole but didn’t make them.”

Player said: “I played well, putted well, but they never went in.”

Snead said: “It’s back to the drawing board. I need to find out why I’m not hitting the ball solid.”

Rodriguez had birdies to win the first hole Sunday, No. 10, worth $80,000, and No. 15, worth $90,000.

In the match-play format, the low score on each hole wins the “skin,” or prize money. If the hole is tied, the money carries over to the next hole, with all four golfers still in contention--except during the sudden death.

The Senior Skins, with nine holes each day, had prize money of $10,000 for each of the first six holes, $20,000 for the next six, and $30,000 each for the final six holes.

After there were ties on the final three holes of regulation, the foursome returned to the 10th tee. Snead was eliminated on the first extra hole, and Player went out on the third.

Rodriguez won eight tournaments and slightly more than $1 million during 26 years on the PGA Tour, including a low of some $37,000 in 1985 before he became eligible for the Senior Tour.

He began Sunday with a birdie 4 worth $80,000, since the final three holes the previous day were tied.

He then pocketed $90,000 more with a birdie 2 on No. 14, then kept the overtime going long enough to win when Palmer made a mistake.

THE BREAKDOWN

Golfer Money Won Chi Chi Rodriguez $300,000 Gary Player 40,000 Arnold Palmer 20,000 Sam Snead 0