Andres Romero

Residence: Yerba Buena, Argentina

DOB: 08/05/1981

Andres took up golf at age 8 after being bedridden and on a strict diet with a kidney disease. He began by caddying at The Jockey Club just outside Buenos Aires, Argentina before playing in the cooler temperatures of the evening. He developed a real passion for the game as he grew up and decided to make it his career when he turned professional at only 16 years old. The decision t turn professional was not taken lightly though as it meant that he would have to give up his favourite hobby, mountain biking because it was deemed too dangerous. Coached by his uncle, Andres won 3 times in South America and once in Europe (the Morson International Pro-Am Challenge) before earning his full European Tour card by finishing 14th on the Challenge Tour rankings in 2005. He had a successful rookie season on the European Tour which was highlighted by a tied 2nd finish at the Scottish Open and a tied 8th finish in The Open Championship a week later. In the 2007 Open Championship, Romero placed 3rd, behind Sergio Garcia and eventual champion Padraig Harrington, making ten birdies in the final round. He briefly led the field by two strokes, but made a double bogey on the 71st hole and a bogey on the 72nd to miss the play-off by a single stroke. This performance announced his name on the world stage and he carried this form into the following week when he won his first European Tour event at the Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe. This excellent for saw Romero finish the season in the top-10 of the Order of Merit for the first time. In March 2008, he won for the first time on the PGA Tour at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, moving to a career high #21 in the World Rankings. He recovered from a 73 in the opening round to win by a single stroke from Peter Lonard.