Rodriguez Feels He Can Be No. 1 Again : Senior golf: Without pain from a pinched nerve in his neck, he’s eager to start new season.

For six months last year, at the height of the golf season, a pinched nerve in his neck caused Chi Chi Rodriguez pain every time he swung a golf club.

Then the pain left as quickly as it appeared, and now the popular Puerto Rican wants to be No. 1 on the Senior PGA Tour again.

He opens his bid for the rating he last earned in 1987 in the senior division of the MONY Tournament of Champions, which begins today at the La Costa Hotel and Spa.

The tournament is one of the few 72-hole events for the 50-and-older group. There were 22 tournament winners last season, by far the largest number to qualify for this event. For the second year in a row, however, Gary Player of South Africa and Bob Charles, the 1988 and 1989 money champion from New Zealand, decided not to play in the tournament that pays the winner $37,500.

Among those Rodriguez will try to beat are defending champion Miller Barber, Al Geiberger, George Archer, Dave Hill and Orville Moody.

Although he didn’t win until the Crestar in mid-September, Rodriguez lost twice in playoffs, just missing a banner year. His $275,414 in earnings was the lowest in his four years as a senior.

“Every time I hit the ball, it hurt, especially in the hand,” Rodriguez said. “Several doctors, including Dr. (Frank) Jobe, told me that the only way I would get better was to do stretching exercises and rest for three to six weeks.

“I did do the exercises and maybe that’s what did it, but I woke up one morning in September and it didn’t hurt. It hasn’t hurt since. That’s why my goal is to be No. 1.”

When he joined the seniors for the last couple of tournaments in 1985, Rodriguez, the sport’s stand-up comic, laughingly said he would have to make a lot of money in a hurry, because when Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino became eligible, he wouldn’t have a chance.

“I welcome them both,” Rodriguez said. “I know Lee will be a factor, but I don’t think Jack will play often. He has nothing to gain. If he wins, they’ll say he should. If he doesn’t, they’ll say he’s lost it.”

Rodriguez has an opinion on just about everything. Some of them:

--He strongly supports the PGA Tour in its suit over the types of grooves that should be allowed on irons.

“If the PGA can’t make the rules, somebody will come up with a golf ball that will travel 400 yards and then what will happen?

--He isn’t really upset that after winning the first two senior skins games, he was not invited to play in Hawaii late this month.

“After all, how often do you get replaced by Jack Nicklaus?”

--It is a terrible thing for athletes to charge youngsters for an autograph.

“Nobody should make money at the expense of kids.”

--There may be some doubt about who the greatest golfer is, but there is no doubt who the greatest Puerto Rican golfer is.

And, he adds: He will never be as good for golf as it has been for him.