Eduardo Romero: 1954 – 2022

The European Tour group is sad to hear of the passing of Eduardo Romero at the age of 67.

Nicknamed ‘El Gato’ (The Cat), the Argentinian was a prolific winner across three decades on the Argentine Tour, the European Tour and PGA TOUR Champions. He won eight European Tour titles, including the French, Scottish and Spanish Opens as well as two European Masters titles.

His first European Tour victory came at the Trophée Lancôme in 1989, when he finished one stroke ahead of Bernhard Langer and José Maríá Olazábal, with his last coming at the 2002 Scottish Open, defeating Freddie Jacobson in a play-off. He became the then-third oldest winner on Tour when he won at Loch Lomond just three days before his 48th birthday.

Romero made a successful transition to the over-50s game in 2004, when, on his first senior start, he finished in a tie for second at The Senior Open at Royal Portrush. His first over-50s title came at the 2005 Travis Perkins Senior Masters at Wentworth, finishing a tournament record eight strokes ahead of Luis Carbonetti and Nick Job.

He successfully defended his Senior Masters title in 2006 and just three weeks later he won his first Senior Major at the Tradition. He also won the 2008 U.S. Senior Open at Broadmoor Golf Club by four strokes from Fred Funk. He won three further times on the PGA TOUR Champions circuit.

Romero won more than 80 tournaments on his home continent of South America and represented Argentina in the World Cup and the Alfred Dunhill Cup on a number of occasions.

Outside of golf, Romero served as mayor of his home city Villa Allende in the province of Córdoba in Argentina. He requested a leave of absence from his position at the end of January 2022 due to health reasons.

Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer at the European Tour group who played on Tour alongside Romero during the 1980s and 1990s, said: “All of us at the European Tour group are sad to hear of the passing of Eduardo Romero.

“Eduardo had an enviable CV, with two Senior Majors and national opens of France, Scotland and Spain to his name. He was an important part of a special group of Argentinian golfers to have played on the European Tour in the 1980s and 1990s and then on the Seniors Tour in the 2000s, and he was a fun guy to be around who always played golf with a smile on his face. He will be sadly missed.”

Other players from the world of golf have also paid their own tributes to the popular Argentine.