Eduardo Alejandro Romero (17 July 1954 – 13 February 2022) was an Argentine professional golfer. Nicknamed "El Gato" ("The Cat"), he won over 80 professional tournaments around the world, including eight on the European Tour and five on the Champions Tour, with two senior majors; he also won over 50 times in South America and was a member of the Argentine team at the World Cup on 14 occasions.
Career Romero was born in Córdoba to a family of modest means.
Romero turned professional in 1982. He played extensively in Latin America on the Tour de las Americas and its predecessor the "South American Tour", but his international profile is mainly based on his success on the more prestigious European Tour and in senior golf in the United States and Europe. He reached the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
He first played on the European Tour in 1985 and was a full member from 1988 to 2005. He had 8 tournament victories and seven top twenty placings on the Order of Merit. In 2002 he became the third oldest winner on the European Tour (behind Des Smyth and Neil Coles) when he won the Scottish Open just three days before his 48th birthday. Romero came fifth on the Order of Merit for 2002. Romero turned fifty in 2004, and just a few days later he finished in a tie for second at his first senior tournament, the Senior British Open. In 2005 he won his first senior title at the European Seniors Tour's Travis Perkins Senior Masters, and he won the Wentworth Senior Masters in both 2005 and 2006. In 2006, he lost in a playoff against Loren Roberts for the Senior British Open Championship and won a playoff against Lonnie Nielsen for the JELD-WEN Tradition for his first Champions Tour win and major. He was the Champions Tour's 2006 Rookie of the Year. He won the U.S. Senior Open, his second major, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs in 2008.
Romero won more than eighty tournaments in Latin America. He represented Argentina in the World Cup and the Alfred Dunhill Cup numerous times, and he participated in the UBS Cup in 2002 and 2003. He also appeared on The Golf Channel's The Big Break series.
Romero's nickname was "El Gato" ("The Cat").
Death Romero died on 13 February 2022, at the age of 67 at his home in Villa Allende, Córdoba Province, Argentina. The Abierto del Centro, played on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica in April 2022, was renamed in memory of Romero.
Professional wins (75) European Tour wins (8) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up117 Sep 1989Trophée Lancôme−22 (69-65-66-66=266)1 stroke Bernhard Langer, José María Olazábal225 Mar 1990Volvo Open di Firenze−23 (68-66-64-67=265)1 stroke Russell Claydon, Colin Montgomerie312 May 1991Peugeot Spanish Open−13 (68-63-72-72=275)Playoff Seve Ballesteros430 Jun 1991Peugeot Open de France−7 (69-69-67-76=281)2 strokes José María Olazábal, Sam Torrance522 May 1994Tisettanta Italian Open−16 (69-67-69-67=272)1 stroke Greg Turner64 Sep 1994Canon European Masters−22 (64-68-66-68=266)1 stroke Pierre Fulke710 Sep 2000Canon European Masters (2)−23 (64-68-62-67=261)10 strokes Thomas Bjørn814 Jul 2002Barclays Scottish Open−11 (72-66-65-70=273)Playoff Freddie Jacobson
European Tour playoff record (2–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11991Peugeot Spanish Open Seve BallesterosWon with birdie on seventh extra hole22002Barclays Scottish Open Freddie JacobsonWon with birdie on first extra hole32002Dunhill Links Championship Pádraig HarringtonLost to birdie on second extra hole
Argentine Tour wins (44) This list is incomplete 1983 (3) Argentine PGA Championship, La Cumbre Open, Highland Grand Prix 1984 (8) Carilo Open, Abierto del Litoral, La Cumbre Open, Center Open, San Martin Grand Prix, Chaco Open, Ituzaingo Grand Prix, Jockey Club Rosario Open 1986 (1) Argentine PGA Championship 1987 (4) Sevel Grand Prix, North Open, Los Cardales Grand Prix, American Express Grand Prix 1988 (4) South Open, Punta del Este Open (Uruguay), Center Open, Norpatagonico Open 1989 (3) Argentine Open, Sevel Grand Prix, Los Lagartos Grand Prix 1990 (2) Argentine PGA Championship, Center Open 1991 (3) Acantilados Grand Prix, Center Open, North Open (tie with Adan Sowa) 1992 (3) Argentine PGA Championship, South Open, North Open 1993 (1) Argentine PGA Championship 1994 (1) North Open 1995 (2) Punta del Este Open (Uruguay), Center Open 1996 (2) Argentine PGA Championship, Center Open 1997 (2) Argentine PGA Championship, Las Delicias Open 1998 (2) Acantilados Grand Prix, North Open 1999 (3) Argentine PGA Championship, Center Open, La Cumbre Open
Córdoba Tour wins (5) 1982 (4) Center Cuyo Tournament, Bell Ville Tournament, Córdoba PGA Championship, La Cumbre Tournament 1984 (1) Bell Ville Tournament
Other wins (11) 1980 Argentine Caddie's Tournament (as an amateur) 1984 Chile Open 1987 Sierra de la Ventana Tournament (Arg), South American team (Arg), Prince of Wales Open (Chile), Santo Domingo Open (Chile), Sports Frances Open (Chile) 1997 Las Brisas Open (Chile) 1998 Mexican Open, Las Brisas Open (Chile) 2000 Desafio de Maestros (Arg)
Champions Tour wins (5) LegendChampions Tour major championships (2)Other Champions Tour (3) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up127 Aug 2006 JELD-WEN Tradition−13 (72-70-68-65=275)Playoff Lonnie Nielsen26 Jul 2008Dick's Sporting Goods Open−17 (65-65-69=199)1 stroke Fulton Allem, Gary Koch33 Aug 2008 U.S. Senior Open−6 (67-69-65-73=274)4 strokes Fred Funk428 Sep 2008SAS Championship−15 (68-67-66=201)3 strokes Tom Kite58 Mar 2009Toshiba Classic−11 (66-68-68=202)1 stroke Mark O'Meara, Joey Sindelar
Champions Tour playoff record (1–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult12006The Senior British Open Championship Loren RobertsLost to par on first extra hole22006JELD-WEN Tradition Lonnie NielsenWon with birdie on first extra hole
European Seniors Tour wins (3) LegendSenior major championships (1)Other European Seniors Tour (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up121 Aug 2005Travis Perkins Senior Masters−11 (70-67-68=205)8 strokes Luis Carbonetti, Nick Job26 Aug 2006Wentworth Senior Masters (2)−9 (71-66-70=207)2 strokes Horacio Carbonetti, Sam Torrance33 Aug 2008 U.S. Senior Open−6 (67-69-65-73=274)4 strokes Fred Funk
European Seniors Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult12006The Senior British Open Championship Loren RobertsLost to par on first extra hole
Results in major championships Tournament19851986198719881989Masters TournamentU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipCUTT13T8PGA Championship
Tournament1990199119921993199419951996199719981999Masters TournamentU.S. OpenCUTT51T25The Open ChampionshipT53T26CUTCUTCUTT88T33T7T57PGA ChampionshipCUTT52CUTT20T41CUTCUT
Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009Masters TournamentCUTCUT39U.S. Open51T15CUTCUTThe Open Championship35T25CUTCUTCUTPGA ChampionshipCUTCUTCUTT61T55
CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" = tied
Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeMasters Tournament 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 4The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 2 4 17 10PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 0 1 12 5Totals 0 0 0 0 2 7 39 20 Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1995 U.S. Open – 1998 Open Championship) Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (twice)
Results in The Players Championship Tournament200120022003The Players ChampionshipCUTCUT
CUT = missed the halfway cut
Results in World Golf Championships Tournament199920002001200220032004Match PlayQFR32R64ChampionshipT25NT1T36T25InvitationalT47T33 1Cancelled due to 9/11
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = Tied NT = No tournament
Champions Tour major championships
Wins (2) YearChampionshipWinning scoreMarginRunner-up 2006 JELD-WEN Tradition −13 (72-70-68-65=275) Playoff Lonnie Nielsen 2008 U.S. Senior Open −6 (67-69-65-73=274) 4 strokes Fred Funk
Results timeline Results not in chronological order before 2016.
Tournament 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016The Tradition1T14T18T11T18T5T38Senior PGA Championship–T312T16T14T18T5CUTCUTSenior Players Championship–T7T7T31T33T40T71Senior British Open ChampionshipT2T92T43T38T18T49T40T48CUTU.S. Senior OpenT221T19T28CUTCUTT61CUTCUT
CUT = missed the halfway cut "T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances this list in incomplete World Cup (representing Argentina): 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing Argentina): 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000 UBS Cup (representing the Rest of the World): 2002, 2003 (tie)
See also 1985 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates 1994 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates List of golfers with most European Tour wins
References
External links