OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup honors Cerda, De Vicenzo for '53 win

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With the 2008 OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup one month away, representatives from the International Federation of PGA Tours, OMEGA and the Argentina Gold Federation honored the inaugural tournament champions from 1953, Antonio Cerda and Roberto De Vicenzo, at the famed Jockey Club in Buenos Aires, on Oct. 28. Cerda and De Vicenzo won the inaugural World Cup held in Beaconsfield, Montreal, Canada over the host nation's team by 10 strokes.

Roberto Castro/Fotógrafo

Roberto De Vicenzo (left) with Antonio Cerda

Cerda and De Vicenzo's family and friends were also on-hand to honor the duo. Cerda and De Vicenzo were presented with Waterford Crystal and two OMEGA SeaMaster watches to commemorate their victory, which came 55 years ago.

"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 honored 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.

Cerdá (born 1921) 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 the Olazabal Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China, Nov. 24-28. The $5.5 million tournament is comprised of 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 to 28 teams.