The Englishman James Morrison exposed 278 reasons to win the Open de España 2015, 278 strokes throughout the four days of competition that proved an inaccessible proposition for the rest of his qualified and battling rivals, including a Miguel Ángel Jiménez who, second at the end, turned his performance at the RCG El Prat into the paradigm of the show.
It is true, and it will remain so for the annals of history, that James Morrison includes his name in a prestigious and select place, the pedestal of the cup of the Open de España, the one populated by players of indisputable golf pedigree, But it is also true that it was Miguel Angel Jimenez who captured most of the attention during a final round to remember, a compendium of tension, emotion and spectacle by the universal player from Malaga, a great guy who has acquired the privilege – based on hard work and effort – of taking every day of golf as a real party.
James Morrison, 278 reasons to win the Open de España 2015 at RCG El Prat, applied efficiency and sobriety to all his actions, undoubtedly the right way to finish at the top of the ranking, but it was Miguel Ángel Jiménez who transmitted the best sensations and the greatest joys, a way of facing each tee-off, of addressing the public with a captivating look and gestures, of facing every hole with courage, of responding to the devotion of his public with a bullfighting attitude, stroking his cap like a montera, which ended up generating an electrifying current of sympathy rewarded, moreover, by a more than meritorious second place.
“I missed several putts of 2-3 meters during the round”, acknowledged with a touch of pity the player who always aspires to more and more, to reach the top, to always fight until the last moment, this charismatic player who once again wielded his club like a rapier and did his particular moonwalker dance when, touched by the magic wand of the gods, he scored an extraordinary eagle on his card at the 5th hole.
With that wonderful winning attitude, Miguel Angel Jimenez again scratched strokes to the course at the 6th hole, at the 8th, at the 12th…, a race to the sky that was not more convincing because the income acquired by James Morrison early in the morning was too big to work the miracle.
In fact, James Morrison, a player who has just built at the RCG El Prat the greatest of his feats, orphaned so far of titles of brilliance in his curriculum -only the more modest Madeira Open 2010 was in his belt of successes-, was limited to offer a neat and academic attitude during the last round, a succession of pars, punctuated only by two birdies on the 5th and 9th holes and another one on the 18th for the gallery, which he himself knew was not a very aggressive proposal but more than enough to finish the prize-giving ceremony by raising the champion’s trophy to the sky.
His apparently real rivals with 18 holes to go – his compatriot David Howell, the Italian Francesco Molinari, winner of this Open de España in 2012; the Argentine Emiliano Grillo; South African Darren Fichardt- were successive victims of their own mistakes, a hesitant attitude taken full advantage of by Miguel Angel Jimenez to become, once again, the star of a party that requires such daring, bold and daring attitudes and dispositions as those always offered by the incomparable MAJ.
Other Spanish golfers with a commendable performance, such as José Manuel Lara, Jorge Campillo and Eduardo de la Riva, tied for seventh place for the first two and ninth for the last one, also reflected this, although a little further back in the ranking.
The Valencian, angered by his own success -a good position that allows him to look golf in the face again and face challenges at the height of his undoubted quality- scored a final 66 that was the second best score of the last round, a dazzling proposal that contrasted with another equally plausible, regularity by flag -one round of 74 and three of 70- by Jorge Campillo, while Eduardo de la Riva, local idol, alternated all kinds of experiences (66, 77, 74 and 68) to also distinguish himself as a Top 10 man in the tournament.
All of them watched at the end as James Morrison picked up the winner’s trophy and smiled from ear to ear, but it was Miguel Angel Jimenez, in that same prize-giving ceremony, who received the loudest ovations. These are things of bullfighting attitudes, of captivating looks and gestures, of taking golf as a real party.
FINAL RANKING
1.- James Morrison (England), 278 (70+71+68+69)
2.- Miguel Ángel Jiménez (SPAIN), 282 (72+71+72+67)
+Edouard Espana (France), 282 (68+69+76+69)
+Francesco Molinari (Italy), 282 (72+69+70+71)
+.- David Howell (England), 282 (71+69+69+73)
7.- José Manuel Lara (SPAIN), 284 (70+76+72+66)
+.- Jorge Campillo (SPAIN), 284 (74+70+70+70+70)
9.- Eduardo de la Riva (SPAIN), 285 (66+77+74+68)
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