WHEN Romero smiles, his dark eyes dance gleefully. It makes you wonder if you've missed something, like an inside joke. But it also captures his ever-upbeat spirit. After his disheartening loss at Carnoustie, the Argentine did not brood or grit his teeth in the press tent. Instead, he flashed that impish grin — and even laughed — when a reporter compared his late-round meltdown to Jean Van de Velde's infamous 1999 collapse. And talk about moxie: one week later Romero thrashed his way to a three-stroke victory at the Deutsche Bank Players' Championship, his first career win on a major golf tour.
As assured and carefree as Romero appears today, he's still processing his meteoric metamorphosis from caddie to the world's 27th-ranked golfer. "It's hard to believe sometimes," he says. "But I know where I came from and how hard it was getting here. I've been a hardworking pro for 11 years."
Flush with the success of his fairy-tale 2007 season on the European Tour, Romero arrived in America in February and missed his first three cuts. By mid-March he was concerned enough to consult Mariano Bartolome, the Argentine swing instructor who coaches Cabrera. "We worked on Andres's swing path and his right-hand grip, which was a bit weak," Bartolome says. "I wanted to get him to use his fingers more and his palm less. Andres has a very fluid, natural swing, which we didn't want to tamper with. He was just inside out. I had him do a lot of drills to get his path back online." The week after his sessions with Bartolome at Doral, Romero won the Zurich Classic. Two weeks later he finished tied for eighth at the Masters.
Romero blames his slow start this year on a lack of focus. "At the end of last season I took an extended vacation in Tucuman," he says. "It was one three-month-long party. Golf wasn't really on my mind." There was also the matter of adjusting to the individualist lifestyle on PGA Tour. "It's 100 percent different here," he says. "I go to bed early every night and rarely drink or party. And I'm on the golf course all day. In Europe, all the Argentines would hang out together in the same hotels." Adds Cabrera: "In Europe there were always eight to 10 of us together. Camaraderie is extremely important to us."
Cabrera and Romero combat loneliness by sticking together whenever their tournament schedules coincide. They dine together and pair up for practice rounds, and the veteran has had a big impact on the rookie. Romero says Cabrera was particularly helpful at the '07 British. "We walked the course together," Romero says, "and he gave me a lot of tips."
And, like Cabrera, Romero makes frequent trips home to spend time with his family and friends. Back in Tucuman he has lunch at his mom's every day. But he also cuts loose. "I like to go crazy," he says. "I cruise the city in my truck [a red Dodge pickup he's outfitted with 14 speakers] and go out to dinner with my friends every night. We go dancing at my buddy's nightclub every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night and end up partying back at my place."
Things have changed dramatically for Romero in Tucuman. He now owns his own home a few blocks from his parents' place and a five-minute walk from the golf course. Space and indoor plumbing are no longer an issue. He's renovating his house and merging it with the house next door. "I have five bedrooms, and six bathrooms all to myself," he says. "Como cambia la vida.
How life changes.
Luis Fernando Llosa is an associate editor at Sports Illustrated.
