Argentine golfer Mateo Pulcini reignited the football rivalry between Argentina and England at The Open by mimicking Enzo Fernandez's celebration after sinking a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale. The gesture, cupping both hands to his ears, directly referenced Fernandez's celebration after scoring a late equaliser for Argentina against England in the World Cup semi-final, which Argentina won 2-1 thanks to an injury-time winner from Lautaro Martinez.
Pulcini Embraces the Banter
As the only Argentinian in the field, Pulcini faced light-hearted boos from the crowd throughout his first round. However, he laughed off the teasing and had the final word with his celebration. "I didn't want to do anything to make fun of the match that you guys lost because the tournament here has been unbelievable," Pulcini said. "That celebration came from a 40-foot putt. I was pretty excited, and that came to my mind, and I did it."
He added: "I was expecting a few boos on the first tee, and they came, some of them, but there were almost none. I love it. I really don't mind. It's part of the fun." Despite a poor overall score, Pulcini admitted the moment on 18 made his day better. "The score wasn't good at all, I wasn't having a good day, but this on 18 made it a little bit better," he said.
England's Golfers Also Struggle
The football defeat seemed to weigh on England's golfers as well. Justin Rose, a home favourite, finished with a 75, recording eight bogeys. Matthew Jordan ended seven-over-par on 77. Tommy Fleetwood, who shot a one-under 69, revealed he spent the night consoling his young son after the World Cup loss. "I was watching the football," Fleetwood said. "I was trying to console my son. The football was great to have as something else to think about and watch that. But I was pretty nervous, to be honest, on the first tee. First tees don't bother me that much, but I was nervous today just with the excitement."
Spain-Argentina Final Looms
Spain will face Argentina in the World Cup final, and Spain's Jon Rahm joked about his priorities. "Hopefully I'm teeing off late and I miss it! Hopefully I'm celebrating and I don't get to watch the game at all," Rahm said, indicating his focus on winning The Open.
