CABRERA LEADS FROM ROMERO IN
ARGENTINA CHALLENGE TOUR EVENT


By SCOTT CROCKETT
Chief Press Officer, European Tour
Angel Cabrera continued to set the pace in the 102nd Abierto Visa de la República presentado por Peugeot on the European Challenge Tour. The US Open Champion carded a second round 68 for a six under par total of 134 to lead by a shot from Eduardo Romero.
The reigning US Open champion said before the event that he was coming to win the tournament for the third time – after having finished second in the past two seasons – and he kept in line with his promise with a fine showing that thrilled the crowds who flocked to the Buenos Aires Golf Club.
Cabrera started the day one shot clear of his close friend and mentor Romero and it ended that way too as both players posted second round 68s in the event co-sanctioned by the Tour de las Americas.
A solid opening nine saw Cabrera to the turn in one under par 34 and two birdies and two bogeys on the inward half saw him stand on the 18th tee still on that mark. But the 38 year old finished in style with a birdie on the 429 yard 18th to move into the outright lead.
“It was a much tougher round than yesterday,” he said. “The greens were quite hard, yet they weren’t that fast. My ball striking was very solid all day long. I ended up bogeying the 14th and the 16th, but I was able to remain calm. If I hadn’t, my day could have finished very badly.”
As Cabrera ran into trouble, the road to the top seemed wide open for Romero, who held the solo lead for a few minutes. However, Cabrera came back to save par on the 17th after having been in the water and collected that crucial birdie on the 18th.
Ironically a matching birdie on the 18th for Romero, playing in the group behind Cabrera, would have given the 53 year old the outright lead going into the third round but he missed the green and dropped a shot, seeing him settle for 68 and a five under par total of 135.
“I played very well,” he said. “I only missed one shot all day and it cost me a bogey on the last. But I have a great feeling on the greens and I like being in this position,” added Romero, who despite his glittering career has won the tournament only once, back in 1989.
The two pacesetters are great friends and their duel has captured the attention of the fans and the media. They are linked by great performances, as in the historic 2000 World Cup in which they battled the USA’s Tiger Woods and David Duval, the eventual champions, down to the wire in Buenos Aires, the venue for this week’s tournament.
“We came very close seven years ago, it was a pity we couldn’t win it,” said Cabrera. “We might share a couple of thoughts about it tomorrow, but it’s going to be different. This time around we are not playing as a team; it will be Cabrera and Romero on each side.”
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 140 (2 x 70).
+68 players made the cut with scores of 146 or better.
134 A Cabrera 66, 68.
135 A Romero 67, 68.
137 I Weintraub (USA) 69, 68; B Alvarado (Chi) 71, 66; A Rocha (Bra) 69, 68;
138 M Guzman 69, 69.
139 A Romero 68, 71; B-T Lecuona (Fra) 69, 70; L Gagli (Ita) 75, 64.
140 A Villavicencio (Gtm) 71, 69; F Gomez 71, 69; M Ruiz (Par) 71, 69; D Vancsik 70, 70.
141 R Echenique 72, 69; B Parker (Eng) 68, 73; V Fernandez 72, 69; G Acosta 73, 68.
142 R Aranda 69, 73; C Carranza 71, 71; H Carbonetti 70, 72; M Bliss (Can) 70, 72; G Rojas 70, 72; A Bernadet (Fra) 71, 71; B Coathalem (Fra) 68, 74; J Fransson (Swe) 74, 68; M Soria 71, 71;
143 D Vanegas (Col) 68, 75; R Gomez 71, 72; M Tullo (Chi) 76, 67; M Haastrup (Den) 70, 73; F Cabrera 71, 72; B Wiesberger (Aut) 73, 70; E Grillo (am) 70, 73.
144 J Coceres 70, 74; D Altamirano 74, 70; R Carter (USA) 73, 71; J Gil 74, 70; J Huldahl (Den) 74, 70; D Barbetti 74, 70; S Fernandez 68, 76; L Dodda 73, 71; C Cardeza 70, 74; Ricardo Gonzalez 71, 73; C Monasterio 74, 70.
145 M Molina 73, 72; M Anselmo 74, 71; M Carballo 80, 65; N Sedler 75, 70; E Argiro 75, 70; J Amaya (Col) 71, 74; M Fernandez 73, 72; A Schmidt Hansen (Den) 72, 73; D Wardrop (Eng) 73, 72; B Evans (Eng) 74, 71; A Wagner 70, 75; P Pinto 74, 71; A Jauretche 75, 70.
146 N Lemke (Swe) 75, 71; T Weiss (Sui) 72, 74; H Rey 73, 73; R Coceres 75, 71; T Rice (Irl) 73, 73; I Urquzu (Esp) 73, 73; R Goti 77, 69; I Sanchez-Palencia (Esp) 76, 70; Rodolfo Gonzalez 73, 73; F Zacarias 75, 71; J Etulain (am) 74, 72.