COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Some silly woman asked Eduardo Romero, the 54-hole leader in the U.S. Senior Open, one of those dumb questions that can only come from a non-golfer: “I can’t help it. I’ve been watching your style for a couple o f days now, and I can’t help but notice how short a time it takes you to address the ball. You just get up there and smack it. Has that always been your approach?”
Romero smiled. For a guy who plays golf as aggressively as anybody on the planet, he is amazingly patient and soft-spoken. He decided to give this woman all the information she needed to pass Golf 101.
“This is (the) typical Argentine swing,” he said in English. “You see (Angel) Cabrera, he puts it on the tee and then hits it. (It is) a very natural swing. I don’t think anything about my swing, just put the ball on there, see the line, that’s all.
“It is very, very natural. I don’t think – just see the line, put the ball and hit it, that’s all.”
Ah, the Argentine swing, which is balanced by the Argentine mental approach to golf. Trust me, these guys could put sports psychologists out of business.
“Roberto (De Vicenzo) called me last night,” Romero revealed. “He said, ‘Eduardo, I think this is your week.’ That’s all. I hope he is right.”
Then Romero offered up a typical Argentine pep talk, quoting the legendary De Vicenzo from a previous tournament: “Before I won, he said, ‘Eduardo, you are the one, you have to win, your game is good, your game is ready, you have to win.’ This is good advice.”
A direct and simple approach to golf is often the best, so perhaps someone should write an instruction book and label this the Argentine Method.
Romero is a golf ball killer. The Champions Tour routinely measures two drives per round to determine an average driving distance, and this method also is being used in the U.S. Senior Open.
So Romero has been measured a total of six times in the first three rounds. The only problem is that he didn’t hit driver on all six of those holes.
You see, he has a Callaway hybrid that he refers to a 1-iron. It isn’t really a 1-iron (the only 1-irons in the field are being used by Brad Bryant and Joey Sindelar). It’s a 17-degree hybrid bent to 15 degrees.
“Well, in Argentina we call it a 1-iron,” said Romero with a laugh.
“How far are you hitting this 1-iron,” I asked Romero.
“Oh, 295 yards, 300 yards,” he answered. “I hit it often because my (Callaway) FT-5 driver goes too far.”
Romero was staging a one-man commercial for his equipment sponsor, which seemed to be his privilege as leader of the championship. Anyway, he used the hybrid rather than the driver on three of the six driving holes.
Regardless, he is averaging 324.2 yards on those six tee shots. Sure, he is playing at an altitude of 6,400 feet, but consider his 383-yard drive on the 545-yard, par-4 17th hole.
Yes, this par-4 played at 545 yards on Friday, when Romero pulled out his driver and outdrove playing partners Jeff Sluman and Loren Roberts by some 80 yards.
“He’s got serious length,” is the way John Cook described the Argentine bomber.
“He does things I can’t even think of doing,” said Fred Funk. “I try to stay out of bunkers, he just carries his ball over them. He is amazingly long.”
Perhaps it is something in the water in Argentina. Cabrera also is a flame thrower off the tee.
Outside of tournament golf, Romero and Cabrera have combined their efforts to promote golf and introduce the sport to children in Argentina. It is easy to see how much they love golf, and they are spreading the love.
Bravo for them. Because he is such a good guy, I hope Romero wins this championship.
“I play my best tomorrow,” Romero said. “I be here (in the middle of a post-round celebration) again tomorrow.”
His only possible roadblock: No Argentine food.
“In Argentina, somebody tell me we can’t find an Argentine restaurant (in Colorado Springs). So we go over to the tavern and have a steak. No problem. I am happy. I feel strong.”
Strong like bull.
Think about it – De Vicenzo, Cabrera, Romero are all strong like bulls. They have powerful physical builds, and their minds seem to be just as strong.
It’s the Argentine Method.
Posted: 8/2/2008
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