Don’t Know Who Chi Chi Is? Well, Welcome to the Club : Celebrity: Selection of veteran golfer Rodriguez as Rose Parade grand marshal surprises some, confuses others.

Chi Chi Rodriguez may not be a familiar name everywhere. But it is one at the place where it counted most on Wednesday.

*

He’s “a household name in my household,” said Tournament of Roses President Mike Ward, who named Rodriguez the grand marshal of the 1995 Tournament of Roses.

Rodriguez is a senior pro golfer known for his sense of humor and his work for children’s hospitals and orphanages. Ward, an avid amateur golfer in his spare time, said his choice of Rodriguez was natural after he settled on this year’s parade theme: “Sports--Quest for Excellence.”

A native of Puerto Rico who was born in poverty, Rodriguez made a name for himself in golf and shares the rewards of his success with the world, Ward said.

Rodriguez, 58, said he hopes his New Year’s honor will help make him a role model for Spanish-speaking youths. “They can say, ‘If Chi Chi made it, I can make it,’ ” Rodriguez said Wednesday.

Still, some people were having trouble identifying Rodriguez, much less identifying with him.

“He’s an OK choice. He’s a stand-up comedian, right?” asked Alberto Miyares, a loft-district artist.

“Wasn’t he a tennis player or something?” asked Joel Bloom, a Downtown shopkeeper.

There was even head-scratching over his name at the Harding golf course in Griffith Park.

“I’ve never heard of him,” said Christine Yun, a homemaker out for a morning on the links. She quickly explained: “I’ve only been playing five months.”

Lynn Delmerico, a movie studio driver who was practicing on a nearby putting green, said Rodriguez is a good representative for golf.

But “if you’re not a golfer, he might not be that recognized. Arnold Palmer might be more recognizable. Tell them to get Arnie if there’s still time,” she said.

However, Delmerico added: “Maybe they shouldn’t have someone too recognizable. You don’t want to make more people interested in golf. The courses are already too crowded.”

Other golfers praised Rodriguez as an entertaining player whose work off the golf course has benefited thousands.

“I remember him working in the sugar cane fields,” said Rudolph Davila, a Los Feliz watchmaker who said he caddied in the 1920s--even before Rodriguez started his own golf career by carrying the clubs of others. “I’ve heard he’s a good person. They pick movie stars to lead the parade. Why not a golfer?”

Joe Encee, a Glendale produce manager, said he admires Rodriguez’s style. “Every time he makes a long putt, he goes like this,” Encee said, making a Zorro-like move with his hand.

“He takes his club like a sword and then rams it into his bag. He’ll add some human interest to the parade.”

Tournament of Roses officials said Rodriguez is the sixth sports figure to become grand marshal.

And Arnold Palmer? He was grand marshal in 1965.