Among sports fans, Argentina is known for football, in which they have plenty of world-class players. Golf is now slowing catching up in the South American country, which is also a respected rugby union-playing nation.
Players such as major winner Angel Cabrera, Roberto De Vicenzo and Jose Coceres have won on the PGA Tour, and they are now joined by a youngster who is set for a bright future in world golf.
Andres Romero has been voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for 2008, based largely on his maiden pro victory, at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in March, when rain delays and general chaos meant he had to wait more than two and a half hours to realise he had won.
He also had top-10 finishes at the US Masters and US PGA Championship, made 15 weekends out of the 20 tournaments he played and collected more than US$2 million in prize money. Romero finished 28th in the final FedEx Cup standings.
The 27-year-old is being talked about in the same breath with rising stars such as Anthony Kim and Adam Scott as future challengers to Tiger Woods’ supremacy. He said in a PGA Tour interview:
“To be included in this group of young challengers makes me happy. I didn’t think I would be considered part of this group so soon, but it’s a nice compliment. Just a few short years ago I looked at Tiger with awe and as someone to imitate, and now to be considered among a group of players that could potentially challenge him when he comes back is incredible.â€