Romero Hopes to Win One for Argentina
He’ll take two-shot lead into final round of U.S. Senior Open
By Gary Baines
Colorado Golf Journal, Saturday, August 2, 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS -- A golfer from Argentina won the first U.S. Senior Open. Last year, another Argentine broke through to capture the U.S. Open title. Sunday, Eduardo Romero hopes to make it a trifecta for the South American nation.
Romero, a 54-year-old from Cordoba, Argentina, will take a two-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the U.S. Senior Open at the Broadmoor. If he wins, he’ll add to the golf craze in his home country, which relished Robert De Vicenzo capturing the 1980 Senior Open and Angel Cabrera landing the 2007 U.S. Open trophy.
“I came here to win this tournament, and to win this tournament for me is like a dream,” Romero said Saturday. “Probably (Sunday), the dreams come true.”
On a day when six players shot 66 or lower at the Broadmoor’s East Course, Romero fired a 5-under-par 65 Saturday to overtake Fred Funk, the leader after the first two days. The Argentine stands at 9-under-par 201, two better than Funk, who bogeyed three holes after reaching 10 under and finished with a 69 for the day.
It’s likely that only one other competitor is in contention to win the title: John Cook, who trails Romero by three after playing his last 10 holes in 5 under par Saturday to shoot 66.
Tom Kite leaked oil badly down the stretch Saturday to fall eight
Eduardo Romero during first round of the 2008 U.S. Senior Open Championship at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)
back of Romero. A winner of 19 PGA Tour titles, Kite lost four strokes to par in his final four holes Saturday.
As was noted by Greg Norman, who finished at even par for the tournament despite a 4-putt Saturday, “I think the guys will finish at 9 or 10 under (Romero is 9 under), and if that’s the case, then that’s too big a pill to swallow.”
Romero’s power game -- his 324-yard average off the tee is third-best in the field -- and accuracy (tied for first in greens in regulation) make for a formidable combination.
“Eduardo, he played very well last week as well (third at the Senior British Open) and he plays this type of golf well,” Cook said. “He has some serious length.”
Romero, winner of a Champions Tour event in New York last month, recorded seven birdies and two bogeys on Saturday.
“It was my best round so far this year and I really enjoyed it,” he said.
Apparently he took some inspiration from a call from De Vicenzo on Friday night.
“I saw him two months ago, before the win, and he said, ‘Because you’re the one, you have to win. Your game is good, your game is ready, you have to win.’ Then I come and I win in New York. And he phones me (Friday) night and he said, ‘Eduardo, I think this is your week.’ I hope so, Roberto.
“My game is very good. They have to play good to beat me.”
Romero is bidding to become the first non-American winner of the U.S. Senior Open since Australian Graham Marsh prevailed in 1997.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, Romero’s best finish in an American PGA Tour event came in Colorado, when he was runner-up at the 1990 International, behind Davis Love.
But a Romero victory Sunday is no sure thing, as the fast, heavily-sloped greens at the Broadmoor can take a roll in a hurry.
“I think this is the hardest set of greens I’ve ever played,” said Funk, winner of eight PGA Tour events and three more on the Champions Tour. “And that’s throwing in Augusta, Oakmont, Winged Foot and Pinehurst. I’ve just never seen greens with this much movement in them. They don’t have any flat spots on them like Augusta has. You have all that, then you have to figure in that mountain (above the course). That’s what’s crazy.”
Despite that, on Saturday two players shot 64 -- former U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson and Nebraska journeyman pro Jeff Klein. Those tie for the fourth-best rounds in U.S. Senior Open history.
“The pins were just not as crazy (as Friday),” Funk said. “I think the USGA kind of listened to some guys’ (criticism of second-round pin placements) and they did a good job with the set-up (Saturday).”
