Miguel: Seve’s win inspired me – I’d love my own here
Miguel Angel Jimenez watched Seve Ballesteros win The Open at St Andrews – now he’s desperate to get his own slice of Spanish history.
The 54-year- old carded a level-par 72 yesterday to stay on nine under and take a two- shot lead into the final day of the Senior Open.
Bernhard Langer is among a group of four who pose the biggest threat after he hit a one-over 73.
The late, great Ballesteros is t he only Spania rd to have won golf ’s oldest Major with his 1984 w in at the Home of Golf in between two others. Now Jimenez is set to become the first from his homeland to lift the Claret Jug replica.
He said: “Seve was the reason why I started playing golf. He was my inspiration as I was 20 years old when he won The Open here.
“It would be amazing now if I can join him in that club. I would love to win but it is going to be a hard day
Bernie McGuire
and whoever has the most patience and rhythm in these conditions will win.”
Tom Watson came unstuck with four dropped shots in four back-nine holes for a 73 that leaves him on six under.
Colin Montgomerie was one of just two players in the top 20 to birdie 16 in a 72 that sees him one further back. Monty, whose playing partner Sandy Lyle carded a 78 in brutal conditions, said: “Just as we turned for home it got horrendous and on the ninth green we thought, ‘ Oh, b****r it’. I then missed a couple of short putts on 11 and 13 for par sand I could’ve done with them. But you never know because I could be off to a flyer.
“I’m encouraged to have finished the way I did.
“It is a matter now of getting off to a good start because I was just one-under at the turn and it was not good enough because you need the credit in hand for the back nine.”