Roberto De Vicenzo

Biography

De Vicenzo was born in Villa Ballester, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires province, 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 Open Championship, in 1967. De Vicenzo is best remembered for his misfortune in the 1968 Masters Tournament. 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!"

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. He also won the 1974 PGA Seniors' Championship, and represented Argentina 15 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 12 November 2006, at age 83 with over 200 international victories. The Museum of Golf in Argentina in Berazategui was founded because of his hard work. It was named in his honor upon its completion in 2006.

De Vicenzo died 1 June 2017 at the age of 94.

PGA Tour wins (8)

1951 (2) Palm Beach Round Robin, Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (with Henry Ransom)

1957 (2) Colonial National Invitation, All American Open

1966 (1) Dallas Open Invitational

1967 (1) The Open Championship

1968 (1) Houston Champions International

one more win between 1960 and 1969

Major championship is shown in bold.

European wins (9)

1948 (1) North British-Harrogate Tournament

1950 (3) Dutch Open, Belgian Open, Open de France

1960 (1) Open de France

1964 (2) Open de France, German Open

1966 (1) Spanish Open

1967 (1) The Open Championship

Argentine Tour wins (131)

this list is incomplete

1942 (1) Abierto del Litoral

1943 (2) Center Open, Westinhouse Grand Prix

1944 (3) Argentine PGA Championship, Argentine Open, Cirio Grand Prix

1945 (3) Argentine PGA Championship, Cirio Grand Prix, Bahía Blanca Open

1946 (5) Palermo Grand Prix, Abierto del Litoral, South Open, La Plata Open, Masllorens Grand Prix

1947 (10) Argentine PGA Championship, Abierto del Litoral, South Open, Cirio Grand Prix, Ranelagh Open, Masllorens Grand Prix, Alvear Grand Prix, San Isidro Open, Mailly Grand Prix, America Cup

1948 (5) Argentine PGA Championship, Cirio Grand Prix, Masllorens Grand Prix, Ranelagh Open, La Plata Open

1949 (6) Argentine PGA Championship, Argentine Open, Abierto del Litoral, Ituzaingo Grand Prix, Masllorens Grand Prix, San Isidro Open

1950 (4) Masllorens Grand Prix, Ituzaingo Grand Prix, San Isidro Open, San Martin Grand Prix

1951 (5) Argentine PGA Championship, Argentine Open, Msllorens Grand Prix, Alvear Grand Prix, San Isidro Open

1952 (2) Argentine Open, San Isidro Open

1953 (1) Argentino Grand Prix

1954 (2) Alvear Grand Prix, San Martin Grand Prix

1958 (1) Argentine Open

1960 (3) Argentine PGA Championship, Charles Of the Ritz Grand Prix, Siam Grand Prix

1961 (1) Ranelagh Open

1962 (6) Argentine Masters, North Open, Center Open, South Open, Branca Grand Prix, Suixtill Grand Prix

1963 (2) Branca Grand Prix, Tortugas Grand Prix

1964 (4) Argentine Masters, Argentine PGA Championship, Minerva Grand Prix, Jockey Club Rosario Open

1965 (6) Argentine PGA Championship, Argentine Open, Center Open, Rio Cuarto Open, Acantilados Grand Prix, Jockey Club Rosario Open

1966 (4) Argentine Masters, Argentine PGA Championship, North Open, Ranser Grand Prix

1967 (6) Argentine Open, Center Open, South Open, Ranelagh Open, Ranser Grand Prix, Pindapoy Grand Prix

1968 (4) Abierto del Litoral, Ranelagh Open, Acantilados Grand Prix, Peugeot Grand Prix

1969 (6) Argentine PGA Championship, Norpatagonico Open, Ranelagh Open, Glustora Grand Prix, Lomas Open, Kanmar Grand Prix

1970 (4) Argentine Open, Argentine Masters, Ranelagh Open, Old Smugler Grand Prix

1971 (5) Argentine PGA Championship, Acantilados Grand Prix, La Cumbre Open, Pinamar Open, Santa Teresita Open

1972 (5) Argentine PGA Championship, Center Open, South Open, Ranelagh Open, Acantilados Grand Prix

1973 (4) Center Open, South Open, North Open, Lomas Open

1974 (7) Argentine PGA Championship, Argentine Masters, Argentine Open, Center Open, North Open, San Martin Grand Prix, Charles of the Ritz Grand Prix

1975 (2) Jockey Club Rosario Open, Charles of the Ritz Grand Prix

1976 (2) Velox Grand Prix, Metropolitano Open

1977 (3) Argentine PGA Championship, South Open, Velox Grand Prix

1978 South Open, San Martin Grand Prix, Sidesa Grand Prix

1979 (3) Acantilados Grand Prix, Sidesa Grand Prix

1983 (1) North Open

1985 (1) Argentine PGA Championship

Other wins (3)

1953 Canada Cup (team with Antonio Cerdá)

1962 Canada Cup (individual)

1970 World Cup (individual)

South American wins (62)

1946 Chile Open (tie with Enrique Bertolino), Viña del Mar Open (Chile)

1947 Cali Open (Colombia)

1948 Uruguay Open

1949 Uruguay Open

1951 Cali Open (Colombia), Bogota Open (Colombia), Barranquilla Open (Colombia), Mexican Open

1952 Panama Open, Santo Domingo Open (Chile)

1953 Panama Open, Mexican Open, Peru Open

1954 Brazil Open, Peru Open, Barranquilla Open (Colombia) Bogota Open (Colombia)

1955 Mexican Open, PGA of Mexico, Jamaica Open, Medellin Open (Colombia)

1956 Jamaica Open, Barranquilla Open (Colombia), Bogota Open (Colombia), PGA of Mexico

1957 Brazil Open, Jamaica Open

1958 Peru Open, Medellin Open (Colombia), PGA of Mexico

1959 PGA of Mexico

1960 Brazil Open, Barranquilla Open (Colombia), Bogota Open (Colombia)

1961 Chile Open, Colombian Open, Barranquilla Open (Colombia)

1962 Barranquilla Open (Colombia)

1963 Brazil Open

1964 Brazil Open, Uruguay Open, Bogota Open (Colombia)

1965 Lagartos Grand Prix (Colombia)

1966 Lagartos Grand Prix (Colombia)

1968 Lagartos Grand Prix (Colombia)

1969 PGA of Mexico, Lagartos Grand Prix (Colombia)

1970 Itanhanga Open (Brazil)

1971 Panama Open

1972 Venezuela Open, San Pablo Open (Brazil), Rio Grande Open (Brazil)

1973 Panama Open, Venezuela Open, Brazil Open

1974 Panama Open, Lagartos Grand Prix (Colombia), Raleigh Cup (Mexico)

1978 Santiago Open (Chile)

1979 Santo Tome Open, Oro Negro Open (Venezuela)

Senior PGA Tour wins (2)

Senior PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

Senior major championship is shown in bold.

Other senior wins (16)

this list may be incomplete

1974 PGA Seniors' Championship, World Senior Match Play

1979 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Julius Boros)

1983 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Rod Funseth), Doug Sanders Classic

1986 Conmmemorative Pro-Am (Super Senior)

1987 Argentine Senior Open, Pontevedra Classic (Super Senior), Digital Classic (Super Senior)

1988 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Legendary Division (with Charlie Sifford), Vintage Championship Invitational (Super Senior), Pages Classic (Super Senior)

1989 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Legendary Division (with Charlie Sifford), Vantage Championship (Super Senior)

1991 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Legendary Division (with Charlie Sifford)

1992 Center Senior Argentine Open

Results timeline

CUT = missed the half-way cut
R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" = tied

Summary

Most consecutive cuts made – 14 (1948 Open Championship – 1957 Open Championship)

Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (twice)

Teams appearances

World Cup (representing Argentina): 1953 (winners), 1954, 1955, 1962 (individual winner), 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970 (individual winner), 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974

World Cup (representing Mexico): 1956, 1959, 1960, 1961