Easiest of wins for Romero at European Masters

Eduardo Romero made it look so easy Keystone

Argentine golfer, Eduardo Romero nailed his victory in the European Masters on Sunday in Crans Montana. He romped away from the rest of the field with a four under par final round of 67 that allowed him to win the tournament by 10 strokes.

Romero had virtually guaranteed his victory on Saturday, with a round of 62. This score had put him eight shots ahead of the competition with one round to play.

The Argentine’s total of 261 strokes tied for the lowest score in the event. Canadian Jerry Anderson won with the same total in 1984, but the course was considered to be easier then.

Romero’s margin of victory is also the biggest this year on the European tour. He is also the oldest player, at 46, to win in Europe since his countryman Vicente Fernandez at the English Open in 1992.

Romero walks away with SFr390,000 ($220,000) in prize money.

The Argentine had not won since 1994, but despite the drought, he feels he can go on winning. “Six years and now I think I can win next week as well” said Romero, “I feel great, very strong like Tiger Woods.”

For Romero, focus was the key to victory. “It would have been easy to lose concentration taking an eight-shot lead into the last round, but I kept it fantastically until I dropped my only shot at the 17th.”

The runner-up in the competition was Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, the winner of last weekend’s Munich International. Meanwhile, Northern Irishman Darren Clarke, who finished third, has taken over the lead on the European money list.

Switzerland’s Paolo Quirici, third after three rounds, faded on Sunday with a 3 over par 74. He finished equal 13th on the leader board at the end of the tournament.

Quirici has not had a better result at Crans Montana since 1991, when he finished fifth. His play earned him SFr35,000.

Three other Swiss had made it past the cut. André Bossert from Zurich finished 28th with a final round of 71.

Dimitri Bieri and Steve Rey stayed well away from the top of the leader board and finished 77th and 80th.

This was the first time four Swiss players had made it past the cut in a European Tour tournament. Previously, no more than two Swiss golfers had managed to do so.

swissinfo with agencies