With the 2008 OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup just one month away, the inaugural tournament champions from 1953, Antonio Cerda and Roberto De Vicenzo, have been honoured for their famous victory.
Representatives from the International Federation of PGA Tours, OMEGA and the Argentina Golf Federation presented the duo with Waterford Crystal and two OMEGA SeaMaster watches to commemorate their victory in Beaconsfield, Montreal, Canada.
They defeated the home nation by 10 strokes and friends and family of Cerda and De Vicenzo were at the famed Jockey Club in Buenos Aires to celebrate their achievement.
"I'm very appreciative of the World Cup organizers for arranging this beautiful ceremony today," said De Vicenzo.
"I hadn't seen my good friend Tony Cerda in 16 years and to be honoured here with him today is very special to me. We wish China and OMEGA the best of luck with the tournament this year."
Cerda said: "To be invited to Argentina, my homeland, by the International Federation of PGA Tours is a true honor. It has been an unforgettable experience so far, and I thank everybody for their support and for this honor."
De Vicenzo, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, went on to represent Argentina in the World Cup 17 times. He won more than 230 golf tournaments, including
The 1967 Open Championship at Hoylake, where he held off the Sunday charges of Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to become, at 44, the oldest winner of the world's oldest golf championship.
Di Vicenzo won national opens in Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Holland, France, Germany, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela and Argentina. At 51, he won the PGA Seniors Championship and in 1980, at age 57, the inaugural U.S. Senior Open Championship.
Cerda finished second at The Open Championship to Ben Hogan in 1953. Cerda later moved to Mexico where he has continued to teach the sport of golf for more than 40 years. The career in golf and in teaching the game has earned Cerda the nickname, "El Maestro."
The OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup will be held at Mission Hills Golf Club in Sheshan International Golf Club, China, from November 24-28. The $5.5 million tournament comprises 28 two-man teams representing different countries from across the globe, with $1.75 million going to the winning team.
Canadian industrialist John Jay Hopkins founded the International Golf Association in 1953, with a mission to spread international goodwill through golf. The OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup entered a new era in its history last year with a new title sponsor in OMEGA, a permanent home at Mission Hills Golf Club and an expanded field of 28 teams.
News
