COLORADO SPRINGS — “El Pato y El Gato” sounds like an Argentine fable.
Grande Portazo?
The Duck & The Cat winning the U.S. Open one year, the U.S. Senior Open the next — now that would be a folk hero fairy tale in Buenos Aires.
Step aside, Juan and Evita. Move over, Manu and Batigol.
We give you Angel and Eduardo. Laugh for them, Argentina.
The Broadmoor could provide enough rooms for all the adult golfers in Argentina.
So it might be shocking that two of them, Angel Cabrera and Eduardo Romero, have become so large in Open golf tournaments for young and old golfers in the United States.
Cabrera — nicknamed “The Duck” (Pato) — held off Tiger in the U.S. (under 50) Open last year.
Romero — nicknamed “The Cat” — is leading the U.S. (over 50) Open this year; so much for Shark and Walrus and that black bear that’s been wandering The Broadmoor East Course and reportedly was quoted as saying, “Give me a club, and I’ll be in the hunt with Eddie and Freddie (Romero and Funk).”
Is there a tournament somewhere for the 85-year-old Roberto De Vicenzo, the Father of Argentine Golf and mentor to Cabrera and Romero. Both De Vicenzo and Cabrera, Romero said Saturday afternoon, called him Friday night. Maybe Manu Ginobili left a voice mail, too.
You’d think it would be raining cats and ducks before two Argentinians could win our national opens.
“It’s a good combination for South America, for Argentina, as well, and for me,” Romero said after shooting 67-69-65 (9-under-par) for the first three rounds.
This guy is hotter than the weather in Equatorial Colorado. “My game is very good; they have to play very good to beat me,” he said. He’s hitting 350-yard howitzers off the tee and sand wedges to the greens. En fuego.
Cat scratch fever.
But, then, you probably didn’t remember this: Romero almost won The International in 1990 and already has achieved an Eduardo Slam, and some.
He’s won the Argentina Open, the Mexican Open, the Chile Open and the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open.
This one’s better: The 54-year-old pro from Cordoba, Argentina, with the sun-baked skin texture of rich Corinthian leather, has won the Masters, the PGA Championship and Opens.
His titles include The Argentine PGA Championship (eight times), The European Masters (twice), the Wentworth Senior Masters, the Travis Perkins (who?) Senior Masters, the Spanish Open, the French Open, the Italian (twice) Open, the Scottish Open, the Chile Open (twice), the Aib Irish and the Mexican Open (twice). He’s also won in Switzerland, England and Endicott, N.Y. Romero has won one of the four Champions Tour majors — The Tradition.
And the guy has won almost 100 tournaments of various shapes and sizes worldwide.
He has not finished first in Antarctica or Colorado.
Romero is called “The Cat” because, the official reason goes, he attacks a golf course and stalks opponents. Wrong. When he was 5, Eduardo’s grandmother gave him the nickname “El Gato” because he always was climbing to the top of trees and crawling on the roofs.
His father was the golf pro in Cordoba and persuaded him to come down out of the trees and off the roofs and play golf. But kids in Argentina dream of being football (soccer) players and basketball players (lately) and gauchos (cowboys).
Cat wasn’t exactly Tiger right away. He was almost 30 before winning a pro tournament outside his home country. But he listened and learned from De Vicenzo, and later paid for Cabrera to play on the European Tour. “Now we have 350 children in our country playing golf, and Angel and I help them,” Romero said.
When Romeo awoke Saturday, “I see the birds and the ducks (at The Broadmoor), and, then, well, I am very happy.”
Romero helped himself with seven birds Saturday afternoon, and he overtook Funk on the 12th hole. Funk trails by two, and Greg Norman, Mr. Shark, by nine. Romero is very happy.
Funk went into one on the back nine but wanted to play again with Romero.
“It’s almost like playing with friends,” Romero said.
He doesn’t sound like a stalking cat.
But Funk was even more laudatory in his assessment of Romero.
“Nicest South American . . . , ” he said.
South America is a big continent.
“The Argentine golfers are really nice, and the South American people are all nice, but Eduardo is the nicest,” Funk said. Is this supposed to be a rumble or rumba? Does Romero, who outdrives Funk by a county, feel bad when he walks by Funk’s ball? “No, no.”
The Cat and The Funk.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
