The seventh oldest golf tournament in the world started today at the Nordelta Golf Club in Tigre district, Greater Buenos Aires. It will count with the presence of the best Argentine players, including 2009 Masters, and two times winner of the Open (2001, 2002) Angel Cabrera.

Beside the two times Major winner, the leaderboard is filled by other names also crowned this season like Ricardo González (SAS Masters, Sweden), Daniel Vancsik (Italian Open), Eduardo Romero (Toshiba Classic, Champions Tour), Andrés Romero, Rafael Echenique, Vicente Fernández, and Fabián Gómez.

The Nordelta course was designed by Jack Nicklaus, considered one of the best golfers of all times, and it  welcomes the Argentine Open and its 144 participants for the very first time in his short history since the club was officially opened in November 2008.

With a 3,500 square-metre Club House, Nordelta represents quite a challenge for both the amateurs and the long experienced professionals. Surrounded by lakes, Nicklaus' creation is a typical "wetland" course of 65 acres with soft wavy fairways that vary from 85 to 100 metre wide. Another Jack's touch on this 7,275 yard-long Par 72 was to include "waste bunkers" along the fairways beside cross and green side bunkers. Waste bunkers are vey common in some of the best courses of the world such as TPC Sawgrass and Harbour Town, both in the US.

The tournament that last year was played at the Hurlingham Club will not count with the 2008 winner Antti Ahokas from Finland, who at the age of 23 became the first left-handed player to ever win the competition. Ahokas was the seventeenth foreigner to ever win in the Gaucho's land joining golfers of the prestige of Jim Furyk, Mark O’Meara, Craig Stadler, and Mark Calcavecchia.

Nevertheless, Argentine players hold the most wins through the history of this centennial tournament, as Roberto De Vicenzo, hall of famer and considered the most outstanding Argentine golfer of all times, was crowned nine times (1944, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1958, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1974) followed by Vicente ‘chino' Fernández with eight victories .

The Open is definitely the most important tournament in Latin America since it first started in 1905 when Scottish Mungo Park, one of the only two pro-players that participated, won it.

The only tournaments that are still being played, and can claim to be older than the Argentine Open are: British Open (1860), India Open (1892), US Open (1894), Australian Open (1894), South African Open (1899), and the Canadian Open (1904).

Masters Champion, Cabrera was very anxious to play the tournament during the opening press conference and told reporters that "This is my country's tournament and I want to win it", and added, "Fortunately, I'm hitting well and my swing seems to be well sync. I know the course is a tough one that could turn into a nightmare if the wind blows but I feel confident."