The first time I played the Masters, I was so nervous I drank a bottle of rum before I teed off. I shot the happiest 83 of my life.

Rodríguez uses self-deprecating humor to convey how intimidating elite competition can be, even for a professional. The exaggerated image of drinking rum before teeing off underscores the intensity of his nerves at Augusta National and frames an otherwise poor score (83) as a personal triumph: he survived the moment and found joy in simply being there. Calling it his “happiest 83” flips golf’s usual obsession with low numbers into a lesson about perspective—milestones, belonging, and gratitude can matter more than performance. The line also fits Rodríguez’s public persona as an entertainer-storyteller who made golf feel human and accessible.