Plenty of contenders in Barcelona
BARCELONA: Miguel Angel Jimenez launches the defence of his Open de Espana title in the company of Victor Dubuisson and Tommy Fleetwood today as he bids to extend his record as the oldest winner in European Tour history.
Jimenez became the first player over the age of 50 to win on the European Tour when he held off the spirited challenges of Thomas Pieters and Richard Green at PGA Catalunya Resort 12 months ago, and with the tournament returning to Real Club de Golf el Prat for the first time since 2011, Jimenez is looking to retain the trophy, a feat no player has achieved since Max Faulkner in 1952-3.
Jimenez, a winner in Hawaii on the Champions Tour earlier this year, will be playing the tournament for the 28th time this week when he hits his first shot of the 10th tee at 8.20am today.
Playing partner Dubuisson received a late invite to play, and the third member of the group, Fleetwood, will be full of confidence after reaching the quarter-finals in the WGC Cadillac Match Play Championship.
Sergio Garcia is another player returning to Europe with plenty of form after the world No 7 narrowly lost out in a playoff for the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday.
After a flight back across the Atlantic he returns to one of his favourite courses. He has a late start today with an early afternoon tee time alongside South Africa’s Thomas Aiken, winner the last time the tournament was played at Real Club de Golf El Prat in 2011, and champion from 2012, Francesco Molinari.
The other South Africans in the line-up are Jaco van Zyl, Trevor Fisher jr, Jbe Kruger, Hennie Otto and Dawie van der Walt. – Europeantour.com