Miguel Angel Jimenez Wins Boeing Classic to Claim Third PGA Tour Champions Win of Season

Posted on August 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Angel Jimenez is flying high..

The 58-year-old Spanish professional golfer won the Boeing Classic on Sunday for his third PGA Tour Champions victory of the season, closing with a 5-under 67 to hold off David McKenzie by two strokes.

Jimenez, tied for the lead with Billy Andrade entering the round, birdied five of the first 12 holes and parred the last six. He finished at 15-under 201 at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge.

“Two bogeys on the first nine hole of the tournament and then the last 45 holes is birdie-free,” Jimenez said. “And I make 14 birdies in the last 45 holes.”

Jimenez has 12 senior victories, winning two of the first three events this season. He won 21 times on the European tour.

“The key is to be hitting good,” Jimenez said. “And I feel confident with my game. I feel good from the tee and feel good with every club from the bag. And I played very solid. Very, very solid.”

McKenzie shot a 66. Andrade had a 71 to tie for third with Stephen Ames (69) at 11 under.

Charles Schwab Cup leader Steven Alker (69) was 10 under. Jerry Kelly (68) followed at 9 under a week after winning the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta. Jimemez, Alker and Kelly are tied for tour victory lead.

Local favorite Fred Couples closed with a 74 to tie for 28th at 2 under.

Miguel Angel Jimenez Hits Two Holes-In-One to Win Cologuard Classic

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Angel Jimenez is celebrating a big win…

The 58-year-old Spanish golfer had his second hole-in-one of the tournament and closed with a 7-under 65 on Sunday to win the Cologuard Classic.

Jimenez started the final round with a two-shot lead and got off to a birdie-eagle start at Tucson National. Reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion Bernhard Langer cut the lead to three with a birdie on the par-5 12th, but Jimenez followed with one of his own in the group behind.

Jimenez ended any hope of a late rally with an ace on the 186-yard par-3 14th to match the one he had at No. 7 in the opening round. Jimenez closed with four straight pars to finish at 18-under 198 and win for the second time in three PGA Tour Champions starts this season.

Langer shot 65 to match Woody Austin (66) at 14 under. Jerry Kelly finished fourth after a 70 put him at 11 under.

Jimenez won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii and was fifth last week at the Chubb Classic in Florida. He opened the Cologuard Classic with a 66, thanks in part to his ace, and overcame two closing errant drives to shoot 67 in the second round.

Jimenez shot 4-under 32 on the front nine in his final round and bounced back from a bogey on the par-4 ninth — he hit behind a trailer left of the fairway — by getting up and down for birdie just short of the par-5 12th.

The European Tour record holder with 10 aces, Jimenez wowed the crowd with his hole-in-one at No. 14. He celebrated by raising his arms and doing a little shimmy, then walked arm-in-arm with Kelly onto the green.

Tim Petrovic had two aces in last year’s Cologuard Classic.

Jimenez closed with an easy two-putt par for his 12th PGA Tour Champions win.

Miguel Angel Jimenez Wins Mitsubishi Electric Championship for Third Time

Posted on January 23, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Angel Jimenez is feeling electric…

The 58-year-old Spanish professional golfer birdied the par-4 18th hole in regulation for a 6-under 66 and then beat Steven Alker on the second playoff hole to win the PGA Tour Champions season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship for the third time.

“It’s a nice way to start a season. It’s nice to be here, winning again in Hualalai,” said the cigar-smoking, free-spirited Spaniard. “The golf course, I like it very much. The golf course is set up in beautiful condition this year. They make it very good here at Hualalai.”

Jimenez won two years ago in a playoff, along with winning outright in 2015. The season opener is for winners from the last two years and senior major champions from the last five years, along with a few sponsor exemptions.

Alker had no PGA Tour Champions status late last year under getting it through a qualifier and then finishing in the top 10 each week to keep playing, eventually winning. He also closed with a 66 to join Jimenez at 17-under 199.

They finished one shot ahead of Vijay Singh and Stephen Ames, who each birdied the final hole for a 68.

Ernie Els, who had the lead going into the final day, couldn’t keep up and had to settle for a 70. He finished three shots behind.

Alker had a chance to win with a birdie at the 18th on the first extra hole, narrowly missing the cut. Playing the 18th again in the playoff, his approach came off the green and into a bunker, and he failed to save par.

“It was fun to get in position and have a chance,” Alker said.

Jimenez joined Bernhard Langer as the only three-time winner of the tournament.

It was his 11th career victory on the PGA Tour Champions, four of them in playoffs.

Miguel Angel Jimenez Wins PGA Tour Champions’ Season-Opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Angel Jimenez’s name is atop the final leaderboard…

The 56-year-oldSpanish professional golfer made a 12-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff Saturday with senior newcomer Ernie Els to win the PGA Tour Champions‘ season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship.

Fred Couples dropped out on the first extra trip down the par-4 18th at windy Hualalai, missing a short par putt.

Jimenez, paired with Couples in the second-to-last group, birdied Nos. 13-15 in a 5-under 67 to match Els and Couples at 14-under 202.

“I said to my caddie, ‘The winning score is going to be 15-under par, and we need to hurry up and make birdie,” said Jimenez. “Make three birdies in a row, 14-under par, and then here we are.”

Jimenez has nine victories on the 50-and-over tour, also winning at Hualalai in 2015. He has won in all seven of his senior seasons.

“Played well every year here, and it’s nice to have a second win,” Jimenez said.

Els made his senior debut on Thursday with an even-par 72 to fall eight strokes behind leaders Jimenez and Bernhard Langer, then rallied with consecutive 65s. The four-time major winner from South Africa had an eagle and five birdies, chipping in on the par-4 16th for his final birdie.

“Disappointing, obviously,” Els said. “I would have loved to got it through, but I had a couple of chances, didn’t quite get the right speed or the right line, but all good. Congrats to Miguel.”

Couples finished with a 67.

Jimenez and Couples left birdie tries to win on the 18th in regulation just short, and Jimenez had a birdie putt stop on the edge on the first extra hole.

With the wind down, Els’ 12-footer to win on the first playoff hole ran by the right edge. On the second extra hole, his 20-footer went by on the right side before Jimenez holed the winner.

“Not going to be short,” Jimenez said.

Els missed a chance to become the 19th player to win in his tour debut. Jimenez was the last to accomplish the feat, in the 2014 Greater Gwinnett Championship.

“The first day, it was pretty disappointing,” Els said. “I was almost last in the field. Then, I got myself back up and played some really good golf.”

Jimenez Makes History at the Masters Golf Tournament

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Angel Jimenez has entered the annals of Masters history…

The 50-year-old Spanish professional golfer made Masters Golf Tournament history on Saturday by tying the record for the lowest score shot by a player age 50 or older.

Jimenez, who has 20 wins on the European Tour, shot 6-under-par 66 to surge up the leaderboard and move two shots behind co-leaders Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson in a tie for fifth place

Jimenez matched the 66 shot by Ben Hogan at the Augusta National Golf Club in 1967 and again by Fred Couples in 2010.

“I love the place,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place, a beautiful golf course, always manicured, and I feel great here. Doesn’t matter how you play, you feel good, because everything is prepared for us the way it is.

“If you are 50 doesn’t mean that you cannot play well. I’m still moving. I’m still flexible … the main thing is I’m doing what I like to do in my life and I’m enjoying it completely.”

Jimenez, who won the UBS Hong Kong Open late last year, started his round at 3 over, but birdied the third, fifth, 10th and 11th holes before a bogey at No. 12. He then added birdies at Nos. 13, 14 and 16.

Playing in his 15th Masters, Jimenez matched his lowest score at Augusta National, shot in 2010. His best finish is a tie for eighth in 2008.

Although Jimenez is scheduled to make his Champions Tour debut next week in Atlanta, he doesn’t plan to make a habit of the 50-and-older circuit — at least not this year. He has a goal of making the European Ryder Cup team.

“I know I have a chance to play the Ryder Cup,” said Jimenez, who is ranked 40th in the world and 13th on the European Tour points list — a world list is also used to determine the nine automatic qualifiers.

Jimenez has played on four European teams and was a vice captain for Jose Maria Olazabal‘s winning team in 2012 at Medinah.

Jimenez Successfully Defends His Hong Kong Open Title

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Angel Jimenez has extended his record as the oldest winner in European Tour history…

The Spanish professional golfer successfully defended his Hong Kong Open title Sunday at 49 years, 337 days to break the record he set last year at Hong Kong Golf Club, holing an 18-foot birdie on the first hole of a playoff with Thailand’s Prom Meesawat and Wales’ Stuart Manley.

“I turn 50 next month, but I’m still fit,” said Jimenez. “I stretch every morning. You have to do this to keep up with the younger lot.”

Jimenez won the event for the fourth time to match the tournament victory record set by Taiwan’s Hsieh Yong Yo, the winner in 1963, ’64, ’75 and ’78.

“It just gets better and better. I love Hong Kong and this course,” said Jimenez, also the winner in 2004 and 2007. “This is my fourth and it was my hardest. When you need to play a playoff, you need to play one more hole, and against two guys also trying to win is hard. But my experience paid off.”

Jimenez has 20 European Tour victories, a tour-record 13 since turning 40.

Jimenez closed with a 4-under 66 to match Meesawat at 12-under 268. Manley holed a birdie chip on the final hole of regulation for a 68, and Meesawat had two eagles in a 65.

“I was very pleased with my round,” Meesawat said. “But I had a few chances to collect a couple more birdies. Unfortunately, they fell short and in the playoff I had a bad approach shot.”

In the playoff, Jimenez hit his approach on the green at the par-4, 410-yard 18th. Manley sliced his shot onto a corporate box roof, and Meesawat’s approach fell just short of the green.

After Manley and Meesawat failed to hole their third shots, Jimenez rolled in his birdie putt.

“I just love this course,” Jimenez said. “It is an old-fashioned course where accuracy off the tee counts. You have to control the ball here.”

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