Return to Transcripts main page

Living Golf

Rio's Olympic Golf Course; Ninety-Year-Old Golfer Still Going Strong; Argentina's Next Elite Golfers

Aired January 11, 2014 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

SHANE O'DONOGHUE, CNN HOST (voice-over): This is the cradle of golf in South America, the home of one of the oldest tournaments in the world, the first place of a Latin American superstar. This is the continent that will bring golf back into the Olympics for the first time in 112 years. Welcome to South America and Buenos Aires. Welcome to LIVING GOLF.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): On this month's LIVING GOLF, from Buenos Aires to Brazil and the Olympics. The man who blazed the trail for South American golf, Roberto De Vicenzo at 90.

ROBERTO DE VICENZO (from captions): Golf has given me a lot more than I have given golf.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): And from Scotland to Cabrera and beyond, finding the next generation of Argentinian champions.

South American golf really began here in Buenos Aires, introduced by Scots and English who had come for work. The Argentine Open is the oldest of South America's national championships. It started in 1905, the year after the last-ever Olympic golf tournament. The last ever, that is, until 2016, when this continent will stage golf's return to the Olympic Games.

The Argentine Open, climax of the PGA Last America tour, drawing talent from across a continent that could only grow in golfing stature. Everyone here is in no doubt about the importance of Rio 2016 and Olympic golf.

MAURICIO AZCUE, MEXICO, LATINOAMERICA ORDER OF MERIT: (INAUDIBLE) supporting the Mexican team and the Mexican federation and golf is still growing in Mexico. But now we bring in the Olympics. Everyone has more chance to start playing.

CHRISTIAN ESPINOZA, CHILE, LATINOAMERICA ORDER OF MERIT (from captions): It's important for Latin American golf having an event of this magnitude. The first Olympic event here in Latin America will be a great incentive for everyone in the region.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): You are visiting these countries here in Latin America.

What is the interest do you think with regard to the Olympics? Because it is a few years away.

JACK WARFIELD, PRESIDENT, PGA TOUR LATINOAMERICA: The question's asked everywhere we go. You know, with the Olympics, with golf returning to the Olympics after 100 years roughly is a big story.

Our -- how the players are underway into the Olympics after the World rankings is a big story.

MARK LAWRIE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARGENTINIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION: Bringing golf back to the Olympics is huge. It's going to create a lot more exposure for the game. It's going to create awareness for the game. It's going to give a lot of governments around the world the possibility to help golf more than they've done so far.

O'DONOGHUE: So with all eyes on 2016, Rio decided to build a new golf course to host the Olympics tournaments.

And how are they getting on?

Well, there's only one way to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): We are now in Rio, in the area of Barra da Tijuca. And over that fence is where the golf course is being built for the Olympics, but due to local politics, we're not allowed to visit. So there really is now only one way to check out how things are progressing.

From the outset, the project has suffered much publicized delays over who owns the land. But from the air, it's clear just how much work has now been done, 12 holes and 16 greens complexes are now completely shaped. There is, however, no sign as yet of any grass.

The highly respected Gil Hanse beat off most of the other top golf architects in the world to land the job with Rio 2016. Up the road, at Gavea Golf Club, he can't hide his frustration at being slowed down by disputes between the Olympic organizers and the owners of the land.

GIL HANSE, ARCHITECT, RIO 201 OLYMPIC GOLF COURSE: The way it's gone is really, I don't think, the way it was depicted to any of the eight of us who were initially vying for the position. You know, we -- none of us were led to understand how actively involved the ownership, land owners would be in the process, and sometimes the decision-making processes have not gone the way that we would have liked to have seen them go.

So yes, from that standpoint, it's been -- it's been a little bit more difficult than we'd thought.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): Hanse is still waiting for the irrigation equipment to arrive. If it gets here soon, the timetable looks like this. They'll grass each hole as soon as it's finished. But even so, it's going to be tight to get the course open for the scheduled test event next year.

HANSE: I feel good right now that we're going to hit that. But you know, if you talk to me in (INAUDIBLE) months from now, if we're on the start with the irrigation and if we don't have some of the other issues settled onsite, then my tone might be a little bit more pessimistic.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): At the course's shiny new bus stop, we met the Rio journalist, Luiz Magalhaes. He's followed the at times torturous story from the beginning. He's now pretty confident the golf course will be ready for the Olympics. Getting people there might be another matter.

LUIZ MAGALHAES, CORRESPONDENT, "O GLOBO" (from captions): I think that it's possible to finish by 2015 because I believe that the problem is not here. But with the infrastructure projects, the first problem, to me, is to finish the new subway line because you have a lot of things to do until then. You need to finish seven stations.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): A short walk away we find the man who runs golf in Brazil. It's a minority sport here with only around 25,000 registered players and virtually no public golf courses.

PAULO PACHECO, PRESIDENT, BRAZILIAN GOLF CONFEDERATION: Maybe go out and play golf.

(LAUGHTER)

PACHECO: Because it's very important for us because it help us a lot. We challenge the mind of people in Brazil about golf because it's a great opportunity. It's a gift from God to have the games in Rio de Janeiro and to have golf back to the Olympic Games. This is amazing. And now it's in our hands. You have to work. You have to work hard to show the world that Brazil can do the best.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): As part of the Olympic legacy, there will be a high-performance academy onsite and the course will be open to the public for 20 years.

So what can they and we expect to see in 2016? The man behind says think Melbourne Sandbelt and Augusta.

HANSE: It'll have a very link-like playing character. (INAUDIBLE) we're excited about that, because not only from presentation standpoint but from a playing standpoint where we're trying to get the ground game to be an important part of playing this golf course.

O'DONOGHUE: Now you've (INAUDIBLE) for a men's tournament to women's tournament. But beyond that, it's got to be playable; it's going to be open. It's going to be a public course.

There are a lot of challenges there.

HANSE: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

HANSE: From a golf park (INAUDIBLE) standpoint that's always the most difficult challenge.

Yes, I think Augusta National is the perfect example of how you set up a golf course for both of those goals. You have a wide golf course off of the tee. But to score at Augusta, you've got to stand on the tee and really look at half of the fairway. Because to get the proper angle into the green, you need to come from either the left or the right, depending on the hole location.

And then to further expand on that, to score at Augusta, you've got to hit the proper corridor of the green. And then what we wanted to do with the finish was to set up something really exciting, the potential for a lot of things to happen.

I mean, in our minds, if somebody could finish eagle, birdie, eagle, that would be the greatest thing in the world because we've said this before, but all we're doing is setting the stage. At the end of the day the story should all be about the performers, the athletes who play out there.

And if we can create a stage where those guys have -- and gals at the end of the day can put up some great numbers and get some excitement and things the leaderboard can change dramatically towards the end, I think that's great theater for golf.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) won't be the only one hoping those performances inspire future generations throughout South America and far beyond.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'DONOGHUE: Still to come, the Argentine ambassador, Roberto De Vicenzo, at 90.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): Welcome back to LIVING GOLF and the Ranelagh Golf Club on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. We have traveled thousands of miles to come here to visit the greatest ever star of Argentine and indeed Latin American golf. He's now in his 91st year. He's a major champion and he's waiting for us inside.

Now I've been told that the great champion will be waiting for me around about the 18th green. It's always very exciting.

Roberto.

DE VICENZO: How are you?

O'DONOGHUE: A pleasure to meet you.

DE VICENZO: Thank you. Nice to meet you be here.

O'DONOGHUE: Yes, it's --

DE VICENZO: Very much.

O'DONOGHUE: And something that we've looked forward to for a long time because you're such a great champion and it's great to see you looking so well.

DE VICENZO: Thank you. Thank you very much. I know -- I'm feeling very good but not so good where you think.

O'DONOGHUE: Well, let's go and sit down and have a chat.

DE VICENZO: Yes, sir.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Forty-four year old Roberto De Vicenzo of Argentina beat out by the British leads in the final day of play.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): Roberto De Vicenzo, the trailblazer for South American golf.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): He lines up a long one to within 18 inches of the cup.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): Winner of national opens in 16 countries, including the open championship at Hoylake back in 1967.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Becoming the British Open champion.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): In total more than 230 tourists across the world.

And of course the one that got away when De Vicenzo signed for the wrong score at the 1968 Masters and lost the green jacket.

It all began here in Buenos Aires.

DE VICENZO: I come here in 1942. I was born in Buenos Aires, near to the golf course there, nine-hole golf course. And I worked for -- worked for the -- I am caddy there. I'm very lucky; before I be 18, I have a telegram to come here.

And I have choice to come here and not work on the federal rail, you know.

O'DONOGHUE: How good were you at golf as an 18-year old?

DE VICENZO: Well, I practice all my life. And I have a secret because the first few years I practiced for all the clubs and I have -- was confusion in my head. I said, why you not hit practice for one club?

And this gave me a good feeling, you know?

DE VICENZO (from captions): Golf balls are like women. You have to know how to maneuver them, know how to work them, know how to drive them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roberto hits it right straight at the green and it's going to land just in the edge of the rough. It continues on down toward the green, and he might be in the short rough on the left side. But a very beautiful, long tee shot by Roberto.

O'DONOGHUE: So back in the '40s, the '50s, the '60s, when you were in your prime, you know, what was golf like here in Argentina?

DE VICENZO (from captions): It wasn't popular. It wasn't popular at all. It was considered to be for the rich or foreigners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beautiful putt, the popular Roberto De Vicenzo.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): De Vicenzo went on to win nine Argentine Opens and more than 60 tourists across South America. But his talent was rich enough to take on the best in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boy, this old (INAUDIBLE) putt. He's got a beautiful tough.

DE VICENZO (from captions): KLM sent me to Europe. I saw that there weren't very many good players but good money over there. Easy money; not big money but people work to make money. Money is -- money and women are necessary for the men.

(LAUGHTER)

ANGEL CABRERA, WINNER 2007 U.S. OPEN (from captions): For me, speaking about Roberto is speaking about a huge inspiration. His was (INAUDIBLE) to get to Europe and to know that he had won around Europe wherever he went, there were photos of him. The truth is that inspired me hugely.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): Despite all his success as he entered his 40s, he hadn't quite landed a Major. Five times he finished third in the open championship, once runner-up. And then in 1967 at the age of 44, came Hoylake.

DE VICENZO (from captions): When I won Hoylake, I wasn't a baby. I was an old man. It opened so many doors to go in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'DONOGHUE: Just up the road from Ranelagh Golf Club is this museum which celebrates the life and the incredible career of Roberto De Vicenzo.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): As well as the triumphs, the cruel disappointment; nine months after his Open victory, De Vicenzo stood on the verge of his second Major, the Masters.

A par on 18 would have won it. Instead, he bogied to put himself in a playoff. But it never happened. His playing partner, Tommy Aaron (ph), had put Roberto down for a par on 17 when, in fact, he'd birdied the hole. De Vicenzo had signed the card, so his higher score stood and he missed out by 1.

DE VICENZO (from captions): You can make a mistake. I checked the score card but 17, I missed it. Before you had a man on the 18th green to collect the score cards, you put it in the score card place and I left. As soon as you put it inside, you're dead.

You never know. Life is very funny.

Life hits you from one side and it -- life hits you one way and it gives you good things the other way.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): "What a stupid I am," his reaction when he realized his mistake, has gone down in legend.

But it was by no means the end of his career. He went on to win tournaments over the next 17 years, including the first-ever U.S. Senior Open in 1980. He didn't officially retire until 2006 when he was 83.

DE VICENZO (from captions): It's a difficult game. It's an easy game to spend, it's a difficult game to get. Everything we do in life is very difficult to repeat. You only repeat mistakes. Good things come from within oneself and end. Mistakes come out and linger. They stay lit; mistakes remain lit in human beings more than good things.

Golf has given me more than I have given golf.

O'DONOGHUE: So do you come here every day?

DE VICENZO: Almost.

DE VICENZO (from captions): He wants to see how I hit it.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): But even at 90, the great man still has it. As we finished talking and walk outside, it becomes clear he still has that urge to hit the ball on a beautiful sunny day and the muscle memory to bang it straight down the middle.

DE VICENZO (from captions): Everything aches.

How far do you think I can hit it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): Two hundred yards?

O'DONOGHUE: Look at that!

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

DE VICENZO (from captions): Did you like that?

O'DONOGHUE: What a man!

DE VICENZO (from captions): How's it going, beautiful?

O'DONOGHUE: You never lost it, Roberto.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'DONOGHUE: Still to come on LIVING GOLF, Cabrera and beyond, finding the next generation of Argentine stars.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): Let's not kid ourselves. There is only one national sporting passion in Argentina, football. This is La Bombonera, The Chocolate Box, home of Boca Juniors, Maradona's Club. But as De Vicenzo and Cabrera have both shown, Argentina is capable of producing world champions in golf, too.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): The very first winner of the Argentine Open was inevitably a Scotsman, Mungo Park Jr., whose brother, father and uncle had all won the Open championship back home. He claimed the prize in 1905.

We now come to the district of San Andres, which is called San Andres Golf Club, the oldest golf club in all of Argentina. And there's no real surprise when it comes to the name of San Andres Golf Club when you look at the flag high above the clubhouse.

Well, it's a fantastic old historic club and this is a lot of history right here, Vallejo. What have we got?

VELIO SPANO, MANAGER, SAN ANDRES GC: Thank you very much. Well, (INAUDIBLE), the trophy.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

SPANO (voice-over): From 1899.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): Wow.

SPANO: The Smith (ph) Cup.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): The Smith (ph) Cup.

Mungo Park went on to win twice more and designed this course.

Then after a run of expats and wealthy Argentinians, the two great figures of post-war golf in the country, De Vicenzo and Cabrera, both started as caddies. Now things are changing again.

Joaquin and Marcos are two of Argentina's elite juniors. This afternoon they'll be playing in the Argentine Open across the city. This morning, they're working with their coach, Santiago.

SANTIAGO GARAT, HEAD COACH, ARGENTINE GOLF ASSOCIATION: (Speaking foreign language).

GARAT (from captions): The truth is it's very important because of the importance of playing on the national team for Argentina.

JOAQUIN BONJOUR, ARGENTINIAN NATIONAL SQUAD (from captions): I'm very proud. This is what I've wanted to accomplish since being a kid, playing at this level, entering the AAG and to represent Argentina -- which is the best.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): This is the Argentinian Golf Association's high performance academy on the grounds of Pilar Golf Club.

Three full-time coaches work with Argentina's best here. Meanwhile regional and development coaches go into junior academies at clubs around the country to find promising young players.

MATIAS ANSELMO, HIGH PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR: Well, there is some talent. It's not easy to find. That's why we're putting an emphasis on going to the junior schools within the clubs. If you don't get the kids at that age, it's hard to get them later. So it's not an easy job and we are putting in a lot of effort and a lot of money into it.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): A few hours later, it's the Argentine Open. Marcos and Joaquin gaining invaluable tournament experience alongside established pros.

It's clear that defending champion Angel Cabrera is a huge influence and inspiration here. His schedules always includes (INAUDIBLE) Argentinian tournaments and he spends time at the academy.

So what does he make of the next generation?

ANGEL CABRERA, TWO-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION (from captions): Well, I think that we have quite a few players; there are a lot who are already playing around the world, making an impact, quite young.

Hopefully, they make the jump soon because I'm already 44 years old.

So hopefully, they take the wheel soon. I think that there's a good product right now, really good young players. The Olympic Games will help a lot. Hopefully, they will have a lot of success in Brazil.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): The World rankings show several promising talents, but there's no one yet challenging the main man. However, one expert on the region's golf says Argentina does have great strength bubbling under.

FRANCO LONGOBARDI, ANALYST, GOLF CHANNEL LATIN AMERICA: We have a lot of players on (INAUDIBLE) tour, challenge tours, some players on the European Tour. There are lots of Argentinians all over the world, but we're missing -- I mean, cover, there's one. We would like to have more. But we hope to see those players on the (INAUDIBLE) tour, challenge tour, get to the first level, right?

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): In the end, 108 Argentine Open (INAUDIBLE) first-ever Colombian winner and Angel Cabrera is just picked for third by one of Argentina's rising stars on the European Tour. He, too, sees fellow countrymen not far behind.

EMILIANO GRILLO, EUROPEAN TOUR 2012: We got a good pool (ph), good amateurs pool (ph) and I think nowadays, most of the players are coming up from there. Argentina accomplished South American Cups all over the place, (INAUDIBLE) America. We got to (INAUDIBLE) Junior World Cup. And you know, it's been -- it's been great for the last five years.

O'DONOGHUE (voice-over): Of course it's going to take time. Argentina doesn't have some outrageously gifted Manisero or Lydia Ko just about to amaze the rest of the world. But with the work within the country and the funding and attention brought by the Olympics, it's a fair bet that pretty soon El Pato won't be the only flag bearer on the Major stage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'DONOGHUE: Well, that's it for this edition of the program. It's been fantastic to be here in South America and to meet the legendary Roberto De Vicenzo, what a remarkable man.

If you'd like to see that interview again or, indeed, any of our reports, they're all online. And, of course, you can keep across what we're up to on Twitter.

Next month, we'll be in the Middle East as they celebrate 25 years of golf in the desert. Until then, from all of us here in Buenos Aires, goodbye.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

END