The World Golf Hall of Fame has enshrined many players who trace their roots to Hispanic descent, including Chi-Chi Rodríguez (Puerto Rico), Lee Trevino (USA), Seve Ballesteros (Spain), José María Olazábal (Spain), Roberto De Vicenzo (Argentina), Lorena Ochoa (Mexico) and Nancy Lopez (USA).
Today, the growing presence and success of Hispanic players on TOUR is illustrated by Sergio Garcia, Ballesteros, Olazábal and Jon Rahm. These four players have collectively won over 30 PGA TOUR events. In 2020, Rahm joined Ballesteros as the only Spaniards to reach No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Our featured course, Ka‘anapali (Maui, HI), has a proud history of hosting professional events where Hispanic players have enjoyed success. The club's notable events have included:
PGA TOUR
Canada Cup / World Cup (1964)
Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf (1964)
PGA TOUR Champions
GTE Ka‘anapali Classic (1987-90), First Development Ka‘anapali Classic (1991), Ka‘anapali Classic (1992), PING Ka‘anapali Classic (1993), Hyatt Regency Maui Ka‘anapali Classic (1994-97), EMC Ka‘anapali Classic (1998-2000) and Ka‘anapali SKINS Game (2008-11)
LPGA
Women’s Kemper Open (1982-85)
Lee Trevino
Born in Garland, TX into a family of Mexican ancestry, Trevino won an incredible 92 professional events across the globe, including 29 on the PGA TOUR and 29 on the PGA TOUR Champions. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.
Trevino's athletic success grew him into an international celebrity, with a notable cameo appearance in the movie Happy Gilmore. He is famously known for being struck by lightning in the 1975 Western Open. Trevino said afterwords, "If you are caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron. Not even God can hit a 1-iron."
Trevino enjoyed success in the Hawaiian Islands. He won the 1968 Hawaiian Open, and his Champions Tour debut was at the GTE Ka’anapali Classic. He had many strong performances at Ka‘anapali, including a runner-up finish in the 1993 PING Ka‘anapali Classic after losing in a playoff to George Archer.
Chi-Chi Rodríguez
At just 5 feet 7 inches tall, Juan Antonio "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez's personality was larger than life on the professional golf circuit. Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Rodríguez's captivating personality was highlighted by his trademark "toreador dance." He led fans to believe that his golf ball was a "bull" and his putter was a "sword." Rodríguez's charismatic dance would always conclude by him "putting an end to the bull."
The winner of 37 worldwide professional events, Rodríguez captured 8 PGA TOUR and 22 PGA TOUR Champions titles. He was proudly inducted as the first Puerto Rican into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1982.
Founded in 1988, Rodríguez won the first two years of the Senior SKINS Game ('88 & '89). He continued to participate as the event moved to Ka‘anapali. His engaging nature made him a fan favorite during clinics, pro-ams and tournament rounds.
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