The Open 2012: Andrés Romero carries can for bag-carrying Carlos Tevez

Five years ago to the day Andrés Romero played a major part in one of the most exciting final rounds in Open Championship history. Leading the 2007 tournament by two strokes going down the 71st hole at Carnoustie, he snap-hooked a shot out of bounds to double bogey, then dropped another at the last to finish one shy of a play-off with Sergio García and the eventual winner, Padraig Harrington. It was a sad end to a brave tilt at golf's most prestigious title: the promising 26-year-old had shot a final-day 67, a whirlwind effort featuring 10 birdies, two bogeys, two double bogeys, and only five pars. Romero looked every inch a future Open champion. As well as finishing a magnificently entertaining third in 2007, he had tied for eighth the previous year in his Open debut at Hoylake, then went on to finish four behind Stewart Cink and Tom Watson at Turnberry in 2009. A proud Open pedigree, but the Argentinian, now 31, has somewhat tarnished his reputation by turning the 2012 staging at Royal Lytham into something of a circus after letting his friend and compatriot, Carlos Tevez, caddy for him during the final round. The Manchester City footballer, who repaired to the links after falling out with his club manager Roberto Mancini during a Champions League match at Bayern Munich last season, was all smiles as he went about his duties on Romero's bag. Whether he will get the chance to enjoy the job again is a moot point: Romero shot 82, a dismal 12-over-par round which included five bogeys and four double bogeys. Romero's round was the worst of the week barring a pair of 83s by the 22-year-old amateur Manuel Trappel and local pro Ian Keenan. It leaves him in 83rd and last place of the players to have made the cut, having been tied for 15th when the axe came down on Friday evening. At 18 over par for the championship, he ends the week four shots adrift of the Open debutant Rafael Cabrera-Bello and the notoriously inconsistent former champion John Daly, and six shots worse off than Tom Watson, a 62-year-old suffering from a semi-paralysed right arm. It could be argued that Romero's choice of caddy is instructive of how seriously he has been taking his sport lately: this is the first time he has played in the Open since 2009 and represents only his second appearance at a major championship in the last three years. To put Sunday's decision into further context, Manchester City fans humoured by this wheeze may wish to consider exactly how highly amused they would be if, the next time their team visits Old Trafford, they find Romero playing up front, trying to get on the end of crosses whipped in by the flying winger Angel Cabrera.