The tournament is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments of Argentina, and was added to this year’s PGA TOUR Latinoamerica schedule.
Angel Cabrera returns home to win a week after finishing runner-up in the Masters. (Photo – Angel Cabrera twiiter)
The double Major winning Cabrera, and Eduardo Romero, winner of two Champions Tour majors, began their golfing lives in Villa Allende and learned all the tricks of the trade on these 18 holes.
“To play the Abierto del Centro was our dream” said the two Cordoba natives. They have each won the event seven times, as has Roberto De Vicenzo, but they all fall short of Martin Pose who holds the record with eight victories.
In 1927 the first edition of the tournament was won by the local pro Hector Bazzachi. In 1932 Martin Pose began to leave his mark at the event by achieving the first of his eight victories on this course: 1932, 1939, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1954 and 1956. Pose was born in Mar de Plata and played on the PGA TOUR from 1940 and 1948.
The Abierto del Centro grew in importance and the stars of the golf world started to gather around the annual event. The legendary Sam Snead took the victory in 1941 and showed the Cordoba galleries all of his talents.
Roberto de Vincezo also left his mark in Cordoba. But his seven victories are not the only impressing feat, rather that his first victory was in 1943 and his last in 1974, a span of 31 years between victories. His last triumph at the event came a day before turning 51 years old while he celebrated his 90th birthday last Sunday watching Cabrera go within a whisker of being fitted for a second Masters green jacket.
The 80’s once again opened the international window to the event and many top golfers came to play the Abierto del Centro. Amongst them, Andy North, two time winner of the US Open, who lifted the cup in 1980.
Four years later came Eduardo Romero with his first of seven wins. “El Gato” whose house is across the street from the Villa Allende Club, began his great international career here which was adorned with over 80 victories around the world.
The other great player who was born at the club on Derqui Avenue was Angel Cabrera. His great feats at the 2007 US Open and 2009 Masters were celebrated at the Cordoba Golf Club, where he won seven times. His dominion over this course over the last decades was unquestionable as he took seven cups home in the span of ten years, three consecutively (2005, 2006, 2007).
Last year, in anticipation of the arrival of PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and with the objective of modernizing the course, a complete remodeling of the greens and bunkers was undertaken, under the supervision of Cabrera and Romero. Now the course shines like in its days of glory and anxiously awaits the arrival of the best players on this continent.
