The Open Championship is a tournament steeped in golfing tradition.
It’s the oldest golf major, having been played since 1860, and features iconic venues, including the Home of Golf itself, St. Andrews. It’s one that every golfer wants to win.
That was no different in 2012, when Ernie Els secured his second Claret Jug with a one-stroke victory over Adam Scott. But spectators at Royal Lytham & St Annes noticed something unusual earlier that morning.
Beside Argentinian golfer Andres Romero was a familiar face from the world of Premier League football: Carlos Tevez. At the time, Tevez was one of the most polarizing and high-profile athletes in the world, having just helped Manchester City secure a historic league title.
And when Romero found himself at the bottom of the leaderboard after a difficult third round, he decided to challenge the traditions of this historic tournament by putting the avid golf fan, Tevez, on his bag as a caddie. This didn’t sit well with the governing body, the R&A.
Why the R&A called Carlos Tevez’s caddie appearance ‘madness’
The galleries were equally confused and excited by the appearance of Tevez, hauling Romero’s massive golf bag around the course. But the R&A weren’t so amused.
Jim McArthur, then-chairman of the R&A Championship Committee, did not mince words, describing the spectacle as “absolute madness.”
He told reporters, “He never put the bag down, even when he was standing on the green – it’s just absolute madness.
“I think we need to look at this particular case. We normally get a list of caddies at the start of the week.”
This is a greater issue than a simple lack of etiquette. Tevez lacked the basic skills required to be a caddie, and walking across greens with the heavy bag on his shoulder was a breach of golfing protocol designed to protect the putting surfaces.
The R&A traditionally vets a list of caddies at the start of the week for security and professional reasons, so Tevez’s impromptu appointment bypassed this entirely. These things considered, McArthur’s frustrations were understandable.
Carlos Tevez’s golf handicap
Tevez is celebrated as one of Argentina’s greatest legends, and his passion for golf is far more than a casual retirement hobby. In fact, Tevez once famously claimed that he is a bigger golf fan than a football fan, and if El Clásico was on at the same time as a golf major, he’d watch the golf.
Tevez’s obsession with the sport became a major talking point during his playing days, particularly during his high-profile exile from Manchester City in 2011. While away from the pitch, he spent significant time refining his game in Argentina, even winning a pro-am tournament.
This became such a big story in the British press that upon his return to the team, Tevez cheekily celebrated a hat-trick against Norwich with a golf swing.
At the time of his Open Championship appearance, Tevez was widely reported to be a 13-handicapper. Since then, he’s improved, and by 2025, during his involvement in the Icons Series, his handicap was listed at 8.
That puts him among some of the better non-golfing sports stars, but far off the likes of Gareth Bale, who boasts a 0.5.
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