Age no barrier for Romero
Eduardo Romero, 51 on July 17, has the opportunity to become the oldest winner in European tour history this weekend – after a dazzling course record 62 in the French Open today.
The round, which also equalled his lowest-ever score in 352 events on the circuit, took Romero onto the 10 under par halfway total of 132 and into a two-stroke lead over Jean Van de Velde, Jonathan Lomas and Soren Hansen.
At last Romero had something other than a tale of woe to phone home about.
Prior to this week the Argentinian, not wanting to switch to seniors golf yet, had played six tournaments, missed the halfway cut in five of them and earned just £5,500. He is 248th on the Order of Merit.
After crashing out of the BMW Championship a month ago he went back to Cordoba to clear his head wondering whether the time had come to go and compete against players of his own age.
“My family said ’why don’t you stay in Argentina, just play the senior events?,” commented Romero.
“I was thinking about it, but I said I wanted to play in Europe because I still really enjoy in Europe.”
Ireland’s Des Smyth became the tour’s oldest champion in Madeira in 2001 just after his 48th birthday.
Romero, described by Hansen as “the old gangster”, is nearly three years older, but he finished second and third last season and has lost almost a stone by eating meat just once a week.
He has also returned to yoga and this week has been focusing on the picture of a golf hole on the wall of his hotel room.
“It’s about the size of my hat and I have a mental picture of the ball going in. Every morning I do 20 minutes or half an hour concentration.”
Because of the first day rain delay Romero had to play 27 holes to make up lost time, but he did not wilt.
He turned in a six under 29 – the first time he had ever achieved that – then added three more birdies and nearly had another when a closing 40-footer hit the back of the hole, but jumped out.
The player known as “El Gato” (”The Cat”) still would have missed matching the low round of his life if it had gone in.
He scored a 60, with nine birdies in a row, in lifting the 1989 Argentina PGA, one of his 85 titles in South America.
Already th winner of more than £5million in Europe, a ninth victory here would be worth another £390,888.
Van de Velde, no longer the holder of a European tour card six years after blowing the Open championship with a last-hole triple bogey, added a 70 to his career-low opening 64, while Hansen and Lomas shot 69s.
Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam missed the cut on four over after finishing with a double bogey seven on the 545-yard ninth.
He now has to go to Sunningdale on Monday for the 36-hole Open qualifier, but Romero can avoid that by finishing first or second. Two places are on offer from a mini-Order of Merit.
Colin Montgomerie, already exempt this year, made it through to the weekend, but is nine adrift.
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