The 153rd Open got underway at Royal Portrush Golf Club on Thursday as the sport’s top stars flock to Northern Ireland to try and win one of the biggest prizes on the calendar.
The best golfers in the world will put their skills on display over the next four days, and come Sunday, fans of the sport will be hoping for some dramatic chaos as things heat up for the Claret Jug.
In 2012, a different sort of chaos took place on the final day of The Open, as Carlos Tevez showed up to watch the major golf tournament at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, but not as a spectator, which led to heavy criticism from the Royal and Ancient Club championship committee chairman.
Carlos Tevez caddied for Andrés Romero at The Open in 2012
Tevez was a controversial character during his time in English football, with that opinion of the footballer mostly stemming from his incredible decision to leave Man United for Man City in 2009.
Former Man United CEO David Gill previously stated that Tevez only joined Man City for the money, but it is a move that worked out for the Argentine, as the striker helped City lift their first Premier League title in 2012.
Following that achievement, the forward enjoyed a part of his summer by showing up to watch The Open in 2012 on the Saturday of the tournament.
However, Tevez would cause controversy on the Sunday at Royal Lytham & St Annes, as the Man City star showed up for the final round as a caddy for his Argentine friend Andrés Romero.
According to The Guardian, Tevez was a 13-handicapper at the time and was very happy to be given the role, but the footballer admitted that he could not give Romero any golf advice, but enjoyed the experience nonetheless.
Romero shot rounds 70, 69, and 77 during the first three days of The Open in 2012, but with Tevez by his side, that got even worse on the final day as the Argentine golfer recorded a round of 82.
Man City fans still love Tevez to this day, and it was antics such as this that have made the former striker an icon at the Etihad Stadium.
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The golf world was not happy with Carlos Tevez
Although football supporters and some golf fans loved seeing Tevez caddying at The Open, the Argentine’s antics did not go down well with the Royal and Ancient Club championship committee chairman, Jim McArthur.
“He never put the bag down, even when he was standing on the green – it’s just absolute madness,” McArthur said about Tevez caddying via The Guardian. “I think we need to look at this particular case. We normally get a list of caddies at the start of the week.”
This was a complete contrast to the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club chief executive, Peter Dawson, who took a different view on Tevez, saying: “It was pretty interesting. I thought, because of the big crowd following the group, that golf fans and football fans may overlap a little more than I had realised. It’s not a bad thing, perhaps.”
This round at The Open will forever be remembered by football and golf fans, as it was another day where Tevez somehow made himself one of the stars of the show.
