If you have an ear to the golf world in any capacity, there is a good chance you have heard of José de Jesús Rodríguez. He is the ultimate underdog story coming from poverty in Mexico, illegally crossing the Rio Grande, and working his butt off in America to send money home to his family. After 10 years in the US he moved back home to Mexico and picked up a caddying job at his local club. It was there that a wealthy member recognized his talents for playing the game and staked him in his attempt to play pro golf on the Mexico Tour. Mr. Rodríguez has since won 20 times on professional tours including a 2018 victory on the Korn Ferry Tour and earning a ticket to the PGA Tour.
PGATour.com’s Cameron Morfit wrote what I think is the most thorough and compelling account of the journey Mr. Rodríguez has been on.
He had a late start to the game, but golf called to him. And, given his unlikely journey to where he is today, I for one am compelled to cheer hard for this man. Expectation can weigh a heavy burden but, Mr. Rodríguez, the spirit of golf believes in you. So long as you are still having fun with the game, it looks as though anything is possible – as you have already shown us.
I reflect on this story as an opportunity to shine a light on all the kids that never had the opportunity to play the game, who may have been able to make a difference in golf and the world. There are thousands of great golfers out there who can’t afford to try and play Professionally but there are millions more who will never even know if they could have been something special.
My plea here is to give people access to the game for free, or little money. Our municipalities have long supported most other sports with recreational outlets like tennis courts, soccer fields, basketball courts, skate and bike parks, skating rinks and so on but golf has been left to its own devices which doesn’t help its perception of being an elitist sport. It really shouldn’t be viewed this way. Get the ball in the hole with a stick – this has to be a game for everyone to play.