Romero learns winning ways from Woods

Having become the third oldest winner in European tour history, Eduardo Romero today turned his thoughts to trying to become the second oldest winner of a major.

The smiling Argentinian captured the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond yesterday with a nine-foot birdie putt at the first hole of a sudden death play-off with Swede Fredrik Jacobson.

Romero celebrates his 48th birthday on Wednesday - the day before Nick Faldo has his 45th - and after learning something from Tiger Woods in May he now wants to use it to beat him at Muirfield.

The two played together at the Deutsche Bank Open in Heidelberg and what impressed Romero more than anything was the world number one’s focus on every single stroke.

‘‘My concentration this week was the best it’s ever been,’’ commented Romero last night. ‘‘Tiger showed me that every shot is important.’’

Woods’ victory that week - he beat Colin Montgomerie in a play-off - was sandwiched between his wins in the Masters and US Open.

Because of those two successes he stands halfway towards golf’s first-ever Grand Slam of all four majors in one season.

Romero’s best-ever finish was seventh at Troon in 1997, but with the help of yoga every morning and evening he believes he is playing better than he ever has.

The massive £366,660 (€573,027) first prize - more than twice his previous biggest cheque - took him to third place on the European Order of Merit and lifted his career earnings on the circuit to more than £4m (€6.3m).

Only four other non-Europeans have earned more from playing the circuit - Woods, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Vijay Singh. Not bad company to keep.

The only older player to lift a major crown was American Julius Boros at the 1968 US PGA. He was 48 years and four months.

Romero has won an amazing 85 times in South America and, with seven previous wins around Europe as well, it was no surprise he came out on top after he and Jacobson tied on the 11 under par mark.

Jacobson has been a runner-up five times in Europe, but has yet to win and it showed as he threw away the lead he had held since the second day.

He somehow got out of the 16th with a par four after first of all hooking his drive and then losing his second shot - it was Romero who found it embedded in a bank after a three-minute search.

That left the 27-year-old one up with two to play, the same position he was in at the Irish Open two years ago.

At Ballybunion he went bogey-bogey to lose. This time bogey-par brought the same end result, a putt of under three feet on the 17th being his undoing.

‘‘I saw a little shaking when he was chipping and putting,’’ commented Romero afterwards. ‘‘But it’s normal - it’s pressure.’’

Jacobson said: ‘‘That was absolutely the best chance I have ever had to win a tournament out here.

‘‘I had it pretty much in control, but over the last three or four holes I got very nervous.

‘‘I didn’t see much of the back nine at all to be honest - it was all kind of in a fog. I tried to cope with it the best I could and when I made the four at the 16th I thought that might be a sign that it was my day. But my legs started to go a bit soft.’’

He had the compensation - small compensation - of qualifying for the Open through his performance. But until he gets back into contention and comes out a winner it will haunt him.