At 53 years of age, Miguel Angel Jimenez is in top form and can afford the luxury of giving lessons to players twice his age. The player from Malaga has made a break in his U.S. Senior Tour schedule to return to the European Tour for the Omega European Masters, and has started his participation in style, taking the lead, which he shares with Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, 25, and Australian Scott Hend, 43, after a sensational round of 64 strokes, 6 under par, at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club course.
Jimenez, who holed seven birdies and only one bogey, already has a victory in this Swiss tournament and will try here to extend his record as the oldest winner of the European Tour, while Australian Hend is looking for redemption after losing in a play-off to Alex Noren last season. The Andalusian player won the 2014 Spanish Open at the age of 50 years and 133 days.
For England’s Hatton, a win this week would represent an impressive return to form for a player who has only missed two of his last nine cuts.
The three leaders lead by one stroke to Scots Scots David Drysdale and Duncan Stewart, South African Darren Fichardt, New Zealand Kiwi Ryan Fox, Thai Thai Thai Thongchai Jaidee and Australian Todd Sinnott.
Jimenez, champion of the Omega European Masters in 2010, made a bogey on the 11th, but recovered on the 12th and also birdied the 14th, 15th and 18th holes.
In addition to the Malaga-born player, this Swiss tournament has among its winners his compatriots Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal and Sergio García.
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