The Argentinian, former winner of the Lancôme Trophy and the French Open, died of cancer in his town of Villa Allende, where he had become mayor.
Eduardo Romero, one of the most influential players in Argentine golf history, died on Sunday. The former professional player has died aged 67 from cancer, local media reported, citing a statement from his hometown. After his career, retired from sport, the one his compatriots had nicknamed “El Gato“, had become mayor of Villa Allende in the province of Cordoba, where he had grown up. Despite serving a six-year term, Romero had recently announced that he was stepping back from his public duties.
Since the 90s, its silky and precise touch has been admired by professional players as much as by the public. For everyone, he was “El Gato”, “The Cat”, a nickname in reference to his tomcat approach. “He was a magnificent golfer and a delightful man, remembers Bernard Pascassio, he had a lot of friends on the different circuits where he played. I remember having celebrated his fiftieth birthday around him in Crans-sur-Sierre. He had come to play in the Médoc for the Presidents’ Trophy and had a lot of contacts in Europe. »
A champion’s track record
Romera was very fond of France, which returned it well. He won the first of his seven titles on the European circuit at the Lancôme Trophy in 1989, before winning the French Open in 1991. The Argentinian then became the oldest winner of a European tournament in 2002 , when he won the Scottish Open at 47. In the meantime, he had won twice, at the European Masters in Crans-sur-Sierre. The former French number one Frédéric Regard (61) remembers him in 1994, during his first success in Switzerland. “’Le Chat’ had hands of madness, a little game on which he relied to build his victories. He was devilishly skilled. He was really a very good player. »
Besides these victories, Eduardo Romero had also played on the PGA tour, counting five victories in the United States. “El Gato” also won more than 80 tournaments in South America and represented his country at the Golf World Cup 14 times, finishing second at home alongside Angel Cabrera in 2000. in senior golf and won two major US PGA Tour Champions events: the 2006 Tradition and the 2008 US Senior Open.
