Against All Odds: Jośe de Jesús Rodriguez and his incredible path to the PGA Tour
José de Jesús Rodríguez, affectionately known as El Camarón (The Shrimp) on and off the TOUR, believes that everyone has a destiny. “Mine was always waiting for me,” he says, “at Club de Golf Santa Margarita in Irapuato, Guanajuato.” José dropped out of school at age 12 to help provide for his family—landing a job as a caddie at Club de Golf Santa Margarita, about four hours northwest of Mexico City. “Golf became my passion,” says José. “I even made my own clubs out of construction rebar and scrap metal.” It was at Club de Golf Santa Margarita that José heard the stories of money to be made in the United States. At 15 years old, José decided the best way to provide for his seven siblings and parents was to look for work 600 miles away, crossing the Rio Grande and Mexico’s northeastern border into the United States. Now 38 years old, the golfer everyone calls El Camarón is the most unlikely rookie on the PGA TOUR.
A Decade away from Home
As an undocumented worker, José’s prospects in the United States were limited, but his time on the golf course in Irapuato proved instrumental. His experience helped land him a job maintaining the greens at Stonebridge Meadows Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The teenage José worked all day—often six or seven days a week—and sent almost every paycheck home to his family in Irapuato. He spent nearly three years at Stonebridge before eventually making his way to Territory Golf & Country Club in Duncan, Oklahoma, where he also worked the grounds—but still didn’t play the game.
Destiny Reunited
After 10 years in the United States, José decided it was time to return home. “My family had made good use of the money I sent home,” he says. “I came back to a pair of two-story homes and a different outlook on life.” And while his decade of tireless labor had dramatically improved prospects for his family, José found he still had a passion for golf.
El Camarón ultimately returned to caddying at Club de Golf Santa Margarita. “This time,” he recalls, “I would meet my sponsor, Alfonso Vallejo.” Vallejo was a wealthy local who was captivated by José’s knowledge of the course and natural ability, though caddies were forbidden from hitting shots with members. The club eventually suspended José for demonstrating shots alongside Vallejo, but what happened next changed José’s life forever.
“Vallejo believed that I could become a professional golfer,” says José. “He bought me a membership to the club and paid my living expenses, so I could get ready for a tournament that would qualify me for an event on the Negra Modelo Tour.” José’s natural ability and determination took over from there. “I ended up winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2007, and it was then that I knew I could reach the PGA TOUR.”
One Win at a Time
At age 26—an age when most PGA TOUR players are entering their prime—José was just starting his professional career and moving through the mini-tour ranks. Fortunately, the golf ball doesn’t care about your pedigree or age. In 2007, José’s first year on the Mexican Tour, he played in 12 tournaments with six top-10 finishes. The next year, José earned the top Order of Merit (a title that goes to the highest earner) on the Mexican Tour and won his first tournament at Club Campestre of Puebla. 2008 also marked his first appearance on the PGA TOUR at the Mayakoba Golf Classic—a tournament where he would make the cut and finish tied for 38th in 2009.
By 2010, José was a regular on both the Mexican Tour and PGA TOUR Canada (now known as the Mackenzie Tour), routinely finishing in the top 10—including four wins on the Mexican Tour. In 2011, José impressively earned both the top Order of Merit on PGA TOUR Canada and was third in Order of Merit on the Mexican Tour. His rising star status was buoyed by the creation of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in 2012. He won the Tour’s inaugural round (stringing together seven consecutive birdies) and currently stands as the all-time career money leader on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. His play in 2017 earned José player of the year honors and gave him fully exempt status on the Web.com Tour—just a step away from his dream.
Conquering Victoria National
If José was intimated by the Web.com Tour, it didn’t show in his play. He started the season with a top-five finish at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic and made 10 cuts overall. But El Camarón’s crowning achievement in 2018—and what propelled him up the money list to earn his PGA TOUR card—was winning the Web.com Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance at Victoria National. While other players crumbled on the difficult course, José’s attitude never changed. “It’s simple for me—try not to push myself and enjoy the game,” he says. “When I enjoy what I do, the pressure disappears.”
In the final round, José was paired with Maverick McNealy, a 22-year-old who was the college player of the year in 2015 at Stanford and briefly ranked as the top amateur in the world in 2017. Despite their different backgrounds, El Camarón never considered himself the underdog, nor did he pay much attention to his opponent’s game. “Honestly, I was so focused on not losing the pace and enjoying the game that, at the end, I didn’t even realize I had won,” he says. “I’m just so glad that I was able to fulfill the dream that my sponsor and I had!”
Ready for the PGA TOUR
“Most golfers would say that I’ve had a difficult life, but I wouldn’t do it any differently,” says José. “Just think of all the good people who’ve crossed my path.” Like all the best Cinderella stories in sports, José’s is one with a bright future. “And now, I’ve reached one of the greatest goals in my life: I am part of the PGA TOUR.”
