Rodriguez Decides It’s Time to Enjoy Playing Again

Chi Chi Rodriguez has always had more bounce to his step, brighter colors in his wardrobe and more personality in his game than many of his stoic competitors. But at 64, Rodriguez is more entertaining than ever.

Rodriguez’s increased enthusiasm for the game has nothing to do with the way he’s striking the golf ball, but more to do with his health. After suffering a mild heart attack five months ago, Rodriguez is simply happy to be alive. He’s not so much concerned with how he’s playing, but that he’s playing at all.

Although Rodriguez has won 22 times in 14 years on the Senior PGA Tour, his last win came in 1993. After Friday’s opening round at the Toshiba Senior Classic, Rodriguez was six behind the leaders after shooting a two-over 73. In two senior events this season, Rodriguez has won $10,260.

The front nine: After a birdie on the par-five third hole, Rodriguez makes his only bogey of the day at No. 6 when he chunks a short iron from the fairway and then misses an 18-foot-par putt. On No. 7, Rodriguez recovers from a poor tee shot to birdie the hole by rolling in a 12-foot putt.

He celebrates the birdie with a prolonged “sword dance.” Playing partner Rocky Thompson gives Rodriguez a stare and Bob Dickson can’t help but start laughing.

When Rodriguez saves par on No. 9 with a 15-footer, he throws the ball to a little boy sitting in back of the green.

The back nine: Rodriguez birdies Nos. 10, 11 and 13 to go two under for the tournament. His longest birdie putt is an 18-footer on the 13th.

On the par-five 15th, Rodriguez has a chance for another birdie, but misses a slippery four-footer. When Thompson holes a long birdie on No. 15, he mimics Chi Chi’s sword dance and gets a high-five from Rodriguez.

Shot of the day: It didn’t lead to a birdie, but it was vintage Chi Chi. After driving the ball into the rough and behind a tree on the par-five 18th, Rodriguez looks at the squirming gallery and says, “Relax folks, you guys are making me nervous.”

After standing over the ball for all of a second, Rodriguez smashes a three-wood 200 yards and back into the fairway.

Where he stands: He isn’t high on the leader board at minus two, but Rodriguez’s 67 is his low round of the year and it has him thinking positively about the future.

“I’ve decided I’m going to have fun for the rest of my life, no matter what,” said Rodriguez, who has lost 17 pounds, stopped smoking and changed his diet to fruits, seafood and chicken. “When I was in that bed, I said ‘God, just let me go out there and play with my friends again.’ ”