Chi Chi Rodríguez

In 1985 Rodríguez graduated to the Senior PGA Tour and almost immediately found much more success there than he had on the regular tour. He credits much of this improvement to a putting tip given to him by famed golf teacher Bob Toski, whom he bumped into in an airport in May 1986. Rodríguez has always been an excellent driver, but his putting was never very accurate. Toski told him to stand up straighter and to hit the ball with more downward force when he putts, which helps to eliminate sidespin. After getting that tip Rodríguez went on to win three tournaments in 1986, and in 1987 he won seven, including four in a row, and set the money-winning record for the senior tour. He would never have a year quite as good as 1987 again, but Rodríguez remained one of the dominant players on the senior tour through the early 1990s.

Despite suffering a major heart attack in 1998, Rodríguez continues to play competitive golf and to do all of the charitable work that he can, especially with the 450 abused and neglected children who are served each year by the Chi Chi Rodríguez Youth Foundation. In the grand scheme of things he sees the latter as more important, as he said in an interview with Golf Digest in 2000: "I don't care about how many tournaments I won. Winning tournaments is very important for your ego, but winning the people is very important for your soul…. I want to be remembered as a guy who was the kids' pal."