Miguel Ángel Jiménez has won the UBS Hong Kong Open, held in Fanling, conquering the tournament for the fourth time after the first hole of a three-way play-off against Stuart Manley and Prom Meesawat. The Malaga native won his 20th European Tour title, 24th international, surpassing himself as the oldest winner in the history of the Tour at 49 years and 337 days. Jose Manuel Lara and Javier Colomo, tied fifth, accompany their friend in the top ten.
Pisha”, with scores of 70-67-65-66 for a total of 268 (-12), was proclaimed champion with a great birdie on the first hole of the play-off, the 18th of the Hong Kong Golf Club course, holing a putt of about six meters while the Welshman and the Thai, with whom he had finished tied with 12 under par, signed for par.
Jimenez, who will turn 50 next month (Churriana, Malaga, January 5, 1964), suffered a skiing accident a year ago (Sierra Nevada, 30-12-12) causing a broken tibia, for which he underwent surgery and remained convalescent and unable to compete until the Spanish Open, held in April in El Saler.
With this victory, his thirteenth at the age of forty and fourth at the UBS Hong Kong Open (2005, 2008, 2012 and 2013), “Pisha” wins his twentieth title in 618 appearances on the European Tour and is now among the top 40 in the world ranking.
“CONTENTÍSIMO”
“I am very satisfied, very happy. I’ve been hitting the ball well all week, I just needed the putts to go in and today, despite the three I made on the 15th hole, the rest went well.
I hit it very straight off the tee and on this course it is essential. Winning nowadays is not easy at all, and on top of that, making a six-meter putt for birdie… it’s a great, great satisfaction. At all times I have remained calm and confident in myself, I knew that if I was patient I could do it and I have succeeded, how can I be, well, happy!
Hong Kong has magic, I love this place, both the course and the city; I came here for the first time in 2004 and since then I have always felt very good, very comfortable. I like the course very much because it requires you to be patient and play it with strategy, it forces you to use your brain and makes you think about where to place the ball and that’s how I like to play golf, how I really enjoy it. For me, the essential thing is to enjoy.
The year has been incredible but also very hard, after undergoing surgery and the months I was on hiatus winning here makes it much more special, it’s a dream. Age doesn’t mean as much as many think, the years are more in the head than in the body and I still feel strong and competitive; I feel I can continue to fight, but the day I don’t feel it, which I hope is still far away, then I will start thinking about the Senior Tour; as long as the youngsters don’t kick me in the butt… I will continue to compete and next year I will return to Hong Kong to defend my title”.
Achievements Miguel Ángel Jiménez
2013 UBS Hong Kong Open
2012 UBS Hong Kong Open
2010 Omega European Masters, Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland
2010 French Open, Paris
2010 Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Dubai
2008 BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth, England
2007 Hong Kong Open
2005 Omega Hong Kong Open
2005 The Celtic Manor Wales Open, Wales
2004 Johnnie Walker Classic, Bangkok, Thailand
2004 Algarve Open de Portugal
2004 BMW Asian Open, Shanghai, China
2004 BMW International Open, Munich, Germany
2003 Turespaña Mallorca Classic, Pula Golf, Mallorca
1999 Volvo Masters, Montecastillo, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
1999 Turespaña Open de Andalucía, Parador Málaga Golf
1998 Turespaña Masters Open Baleares, Santa Ponça, Mallorca
1998 Trophèe Lancôme, Paris
1994 Heineken Dutch Open, The Netherlands
1992 Open Piaget Belgium
Challenge Tour: 1988 Open de L’inforatique (France)
Ryder Cup: 1999, 2004 (European victory), 2008 and 2010 (European victory). Vice-captain: 1997 with Seve Ballesteros and 2012 with José Mari Olazábal.
Dunhill Cup: Spain won in 1999 and 2000 with Jiménez in the team.
Champion of Spain in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2006; 1989 Benson and Hedges Trophy (with Xonia Wunsch), 1999 Oki-Telepizza
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