Jimenez coasting
Happy-go-lucky Spaniard surges into four-shot lead in hunt for maiden Major title. By Kevin Ferrie
HE insists his happygo-lucky demeanour should not be misinterpreted as indicating that he cares less than any of his rivals about the outcome, but after coming within a seven-foot putt of matching Carnoustie’s course record Miguel Angel Jimenez readily played up to his image.
In strolling round this most challenging of links, the jovial Spaniard notched up seven birdies and did not besmirch his card with a five, let alone a bogey as he moved from three behind the halfway leaders in The Senior Open – Japan’s Kohki Idoki and Joe Durant – to take a four-shot lead into the final round as he pursues a lifelong ambition.
Majors contested by the over-50s may not have quite the same cache, but they are still highly prized and the quality of the competition was demonstrated in this event by the departure of Colin Montgomerie at the midway cut, a week after he had made it into the final weekend at The Open Championship at Troon.
In spite of appearances, then, there will be plenty of nerves as Jimenez aims for the victory that has eluded him thus far.
“Of course I care,” said the 52-year-old from Malaga. “I love what I do in my life. I have 28 years already on the Tour now and you manage to float around the golf course but relaxing to me is not that you don’t care.
“Tomorrow I will try to do my best obviously and I will try to be as relaxed as possible. If I win this Major it would be amazing. Here, in the Home of Golf, it would be fantastic.”
He is, too, very much a poster boy for the old adage about life beginning at 40.
“Well, I think the best period of my life in my career is the last 12 years,” said Jimenez. “I started winning more in that period than in all my career.
“I won the Mallorca Open in 2003, just before I reached 40, then in 2004 I had five victories and since that, almost everything happened in my career.”
Contributing to extending it has been a stretching ritual that has become a source of considerable entertainment to galleries and television audiences, while he works hard on his general fitness, but also on keeping his mindset right, to which end he had no intention of changing his postround routine.
“Tonight, I’m going to do exactly the same things I have done the previous night,” Jimenez pledged.
“I will go with my friends to have a nice dinner with a nice bottle of Rioja and after that I’m going to have a bit, fat cigar with a nice smoky malt whisky.”
A posse of four players – Paul Broadhurst, Wes Short Jr, Tom Byrum and Durant – will try to chase Jiminez down in the final round.
While none of them have claimed a Major title either, they will be hoping the Spaniard will be more affected by nerves than ever appears to be the case.
This was vocalised by Broadhurst, like Jimenez a former Ryder Cup golfer, who said after his own fine round of 68: “I don’t think he’s ever won a Major. I’m sure he’ll be as nervous as anyone.
“I’ll just concentrate on my own game, try and put a number on the board and see what happens.”
Of course I care. I love what I do in my life. If I win this Major it would be amazing