Roberto De Vicenzo

Roberto De Vicenzo
Personal information
Full name Roberto De Vicenzo
Born 14 April 1923 (1923-04-14) (age 88)
Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires
Nationality  Argentina
Career
Turned professional 1938
Retired 2006
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Senior PGA Tour
Professional wins 230+
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 7
Champions Tour 2
Other 221+
Best results in Major Championships
(Wins: 1)
Masters Tournament 2nd: 1968
U.S. Open T8: 1958
The Open Championship Won: 1967
PGA Championship T5: 1954
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 1989 (member page)
Bob Jones Award 1970
Olimpia Award 1967, 1970

Roberto De Vicenzo (born 14 April 1923) is a former professional golfer from Argentina. He won more than 230 tournaments worldwide in his career including eight on the PGA Tour and most famously the 1967 Open Championship.[1]

Contents

Biography

De Vicenzo was born in Villa Ballester, a western suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was raised in the Villa Pueyrredón neighborhood of Buenos Aires, and acquired the game of golf as a caddie. He developed his skills at the Ranelagh Golf Club, and later relocated to the town of the same name.

He won his first Argentine tournament, the Abierto del Litoral, in 1942; his first World Cup in 1953; and a major tournament, the British Open, in 1967. De Vicenzo is best remembered for his misfortune in the 1968 Masters.[1] On the par-4 17th hole, Roberto De Vicenzo made a birdie, but playing partner, Tommy Aaron, inadvertently entered a 4 instead of 3 on the scorecard. He did not check the scorecard for the error before signing it, and according to the Rules of Golf the higher score had to stand and be counted. If not for this mistake, De Vicenzo would have tied for first place with Bob Goalby, and the two would have met in an 18-hole playoff the next day. His quote afterwards became legendary for its poignancy: "What a stupid I am!"[2][3][4]

In 1970 he was voted the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf.

De Vicenzo subsequently found great success in the early days of the Senior PGA Tour, winning the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf two times and the inaugural U.S. Senior Open in 1980. Also won the 1974 PGA Seniors' Championship, and represented Argentina 17 times in the Canada Cup/World Cup (leading Argentina to victory in 1953).

De Vicenzo was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1989, and officially retired on November 12, 2006, at age 83 with over 200 international victories. The Museum of Golf was organized in Berazategui on his initiative, and was named in his honor upon its inaugural in 2006.[5]

Professional wins

PGA Tour wins (8)

Major championship is shown in bold.

European wins (9)

Argentine Tour wins (131)

this list is incomplete

World Cup wins (3)

South American wins (62)

Senior PGA Tour wins (2)

Senior major championship is shown in bold.

Other senior wins (16)

this list may be incomplete

Major championships

Wins (1)

Year Championship 54 Holes Winning Score Margin Runner-up
1967 The Open Championship 2 shot lead -10 (70-71-67-70=278) 2 strokes Jack Nicklaus

Results timeline

Tournament 1948 1949
The Masters DNP DNP
U.S. Open DNP DNP
The Open Championship T3 3
PGA Championship DNP DNP
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
The Masters T12 T20 DNP DNP DNP DNP T17 DNP CUT DNP
U.S. Open DNP T29 DNP DNP DNP DNP T27 T8 CUT DNP
The Open Championship 2 DNP DNP 6 DNP DNP 3 T35 DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP T9 DNP T5 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
The Masters DNP T22 T33 DNP DNP DNP T22 T10 2 CUT
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T24 DNP
The Open Championship T3 DNP DNP DNP 3 4 T20 1 T10 T3
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
The Masters CUT T9 T22 T51 DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship T17 T11 DNP T28 T51 T28 T32 T48 CUT CUT
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10

Champions Tour major championships

Wins (1)

Year Championship Winning Score Margin Runner(s)-up
1980 U.S. Senior Open −3 (74–73–68–70=285) 4 strokes William Campbell (a)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Roberto De Vicenzo". Sports Illustrated. 14 July 2008. http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1141776/index.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-05. 
  2. ^ "Loser Said He Was Stupid". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. AP (Sarasota, Florida): p. 20. 15 April 1968. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eewcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8WUEAAAAIBAJ&dq=roberto%20devicenzo%20bob%20goalby%20stupid&pg=5224%2C4037419. Retrieved 2011-04-10. 
  3. ^ Dorsey, Rick (4 April 1998). "Immortal words still live on today". CNN Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/augusta/stories/040498/ann_words.shtml. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
  4. ^ "Today in Sports History: April 14th". Inhistoric sports history blog. http://www.inhistoric.com/2010/4/14/1018675/today-in-sports-history-April-14th. Retrieved 2010-05-06. 
  5. ^ "Museo del Golf Roberto de Vicenzo". Municipalidad de Berazategui. http://www.culturaberazategui.gov.ar/museo_golf.html. 

External links

1860 Willie Park, Sr. · 1861 Tom Morris, Sr. · 1862 Tom Morris, Sr. · 1863 Willie Park, Sr. · 1864 Tom Morris, Sr. · 1865 Andrew Strath · 1866 Willie Park, Sr. · 1867 Tom Morris, Sr. · 1868 Tom Morris, Jr. · 1869 Tom Morris, Jr. · 1870 Tom Morris, Jr. · 1871 No championship · 1872 Tom Morris, Jr. · 1873 Tom Kidd · 1874 Mungo Park · 1875 Willie Park, Sr. · 1876 Bob Martin · 1877 Jamie Anderson · 1878 Jamie Anderson · 1879 Jamie Anderson · 1880 Bob Ferguson · 1881 Bob Ferguson · 1882 Bob Ferguson · 1883 Willie Fernie† · 1884 Jack Simpson · 1885 Bob Martin · 1886 David Brown · 1887 Willie Park, Jr. · 1888 Jack Burns · 1889 Willie Park, Jr.† · 1890 John Ball# · 1891 Hugh Kirkaldy · 1892 Harold Hilton# · 1893 William Auchterlonie · 1894 John Henry Taylor · 1895 John Henry Taylor · 1896 Harry Vardon · 1897 Harold Hilton# · 1898 Harry Vardon · 1899 Harry Vardon · 1900 John Henry Taylor · 1901 James Braid · 1902 Sandy Herd · 1903 Harry Vardon · 1904 Jack White · 1905 James Braid · 1906 James Braid · 1907 Arnaud Massy · 1908 James Braid · 1909 John Henry Taylor · 1910 James Braid · 1911 Harry Vardon† · 1912‡ Edward Ray · 1913 John Henry Taylor · 1914 Harry Vardon · 1915-19 No Championships due to World War I · 1920 George Duncan · 1921 Jock Hutchison† · 1922 Walter Hagen · 1923 Arthur Havers · 1924 Walter Hagen · 1925 Jim Barnes · 1926 Bobby Jones# · 1927‡ Bobby Jones# · 1928 Walter Hagen · 1929 Walter Hagen · 1930 Bobby Jones#· 1931 Tommy Armour · 1932‡ Gene Sarazen · 1933 Denny Shute† · 1934‡ Henry Cotton · 1935 Alf Perry · 1936 Alf Padgham · 1937 Henry Cotton · 1938 Reg Whitcombe · 1939 Dick Burton · 1940-45 No Championships due to World War II · 1946 Sam Snead · 1947 Fred Daly · 1948 Henry Cotton · 1949 Bobby Locke† · 1950 Bobby Locke · 1951 Max Faulkner · 1952 Bobby Locke · 1953 Ben Hogan · 1954 Peter Thomson · 1955 Peter Thomson · 1956 Peter Thomson · 1957 Bobby Locke · 1958 Peter Thomson† · 1959 Gary Player · 1960 Kel Nagle · 1961 Arnold Palmer · 1962 Arnold Palmer · 1963 Bob Charles† · 1964 Tony Lema · 1965 Peter Thomson · 1966 Jack Nicklaus · 1967 Roberto De Vicenzo · 1968 Gary Player · 1969 Tony Jacklin · 1970 Jack Nicklaus† · 1971 Lee Trevino · 1972 Lee Trevino · 1973‡ Tom Weiskopf · 1974 Gary Player · 1975 Tom Watson† · 1976 Johnny Miller · 1977 Tom Watson · 1978 Jack Nicklaus · 1979 Seve Ballesteros · 1980 Tom Watson · 1981 Bill Rogers · 1982 Tom Watson · 1983 Tom Watson · 1984 Seve Ballesteros · 1985 Sandy Lyle · 1986 Greg Norman · 1987 Nick Faldo · 1988 Seve Ballesteros · 1989 Mark Calcavecchia† · 1990 Nick Faldo · 1991 Ian Baker-Finch · 1992 Nick Faldo · 1993 Greg Norman · 1994 Nick Price · 1995 John Daly† · 1996 Tom Lehman · 1997 Justin Leonard · 1998 Mark O'Meara† · 1999 Paul Lawrie† · 2000 Tiger Woods · 2001 David Duval · 2002 Ernie Els† · 2003 Ben Curtis · 2004 Todd Hamilton† · 2005‡ Tiger Woods · 2006 Tiger Woods · 2007 Pádraig Harrington† · 2008 Pádraig Harrington · 2009 Stewart Cink† · 2010 Louis Oosthuizen · 2011 Darren Clarke
† indicates the event was won in a playoff ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire in 72-holes # indicates the event was won by an amateur

1980 Roberto De Vicenzo • 1981 Arnold Palmer† • 1982 Miller Barber • 1983 Billy Casper† • 1984 Miller Barber • 1985 Miller Barber • 1986 Dale Douglass • 1987 Gary Player • 1988 Gary Player† • 1989 Orville Moody • 1990 Lee Trevino • 1991 Jack Nicklaus† • 1992 Larry Laoretti • 1993 Jack Nicklaus • 1994 Simon Hobday • 1995 Tom Weiskopf • 1996 Dave Stockton • 1997 Graham Marsh • 1998 Hale Irwin • 1999 Dave Eichelberger • 2000 Hale Irwin • 2001 Bruce Fleisher • 2002 Don Pooley† • 2003 Bruce Lietzke • 2004 Peter Jacobsen • 2005 Allen Doyle • 2006 Allen Doyle • 2007 Brad Bryant • 2008 Eduardo Romero • 2009 Fred Funk • 2010 Bernhard Langer • 2011 Olin Browne
† indicates the event was won in a playoff
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Horacio Accavallo		 Olimpia de Oro
1967		 Succeeded by
Nicolino Locche
Preceded by
Alberto Demiddi		 Olimpia de Oro
1970		 Succeeded by
Alberto Demiddi