Golden era for world’s “most interesting golfer”
It didn’t seem as though life could get much better for Miguel Ángel Jiménez. Back in December 2013, he extended his own record as the oldest winner on the European Tour, with victory in the Hong Kong Open (part of the tour’s international network of events), less than one year after suffering a career-threatening injury (broken tibia) while skiing in Sierra Nevada.
“I was playing very well at the end of the season so it is obviously not a good time for me to get injured,” he said at the time. “When I took up skiing I knew the risks that I was taking but I love it so much I could not stop.” Ever positive, he added that it was not all bad news. “In just a few days I will be opening my new golf school near Torremolinos."
He failed to make the cut in his comeback event, the Open de España in April 2013, but one month later, in the tour’s flagship event (after the British Open), the BMW PGA Championship, he finished an incredible fourth, just one shot out of a play-off for the title. After finishing the season a relatively modest 22nd on the money list, he opened his new season (starting at the end of 2013) with that historic win in Hong Kong – his fourth in the event and 20th on the tour – aged 49 years and 337 days.
[caption id="attachment_1299" align="alignright" width="256"]
Spanish Open 2014 at PGA de Catalunya: Photos Jorge Andreu[/caption]
After turning 50 on 5 January 2014, he made it clear he had no intention just yet of turning his attentions to the senior tour – and why would he! He maintained steady, albeit not barnstorming, form up to April, then headed to Augusta for the first major of the year. At the end of the week, he had truly lived up to the nickname affectionately bestowed on him by the US media: “the world’s most interesting golfer”.
His fourth place finish in the US Masters was the second-best performance by a player in his fifties at Augusta (after Sam Snead, joint third in 1963), and he carded the best round of the tournament, a six-under 66, in the third round to start the final day just two strokes off the lead. This matched the lowest score for a senior golfer at Augusta National (together with Ben Hogan in 1967 and Fred Couples in 2010).
Having learned that a US Champions Tour event was being held nearby in Georgia the following week, he decided to make his seniors debut at the Greater Gwinnet Championship and he became the 18th player in the history of the US seniors tour to win on his first start (others include Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus) and the first player to win a European Tour and Champions Tour event in the same season.
He then took a break to, among other things, marry for a second time – his new wife is Austrian economist Susanne Styblo – then returned to competition in mid-May in the Open de España at the demanding PGA Catalunya course. In 26 previous appearances in the event, his best result had been second in 1999 – but clearly the Málaga-born star’s mojo is currently working overtime.
After a roller-coast final round, he prevailed in a three-way play-off (against experienced Australian Richard Green and 22-year-old Belgian Thomas Pieters) to become the first player to win a main tour event after turning 50. In fact, 14 of his 21 European Tour victories have come in his forties. And the secret to his success? "There is no secret: good food, good wine, good cigars and some exercise!"
His win left him just outside the Ryder Cup automatic qualifying places but boosted his chances of becoming Europe's oldest ever player when the event is held at Gleneagles in September (Ted Ray was 50 years, two months and five days old at the inaugural contest in 1927). "I would love to make the Ryder Cup team. I hope I can make the team and defend the European colours in Scotland."
Apart from continuing to defy his age and beat the tour’s young whippersnappers, Jiménez’s other main objective over the years has been to help promote his homeland, including a ultimately ill-fated (and expensive) organisation of the Open de Andalucía from 2010 to 2012. That commitment remains as strong as ever, and one associated benefit from his recent success has been the international spotlight once again focused on this area.
With more than 60 courses from east of Málaga to Sotogrande in the west, the “Costa del Golf” is Spain’s premier golf destination, and clearly the ideal setting for golfers looking to buy a holiday home or even settle in southern Spain.
[caption id="attachment_1305" align="alignright" width="300"]
Picturesque mountain golf setting in Benahavís[/caption]
The stunning five-bedroom villa featured here, for example, is nestled in an elevated and private position within Marbella Club Golf Resort, enjoying panoramic views over the picturesque valley and championship golf course.
George Clooney bought a mansion in Marbella last year, reportedly in the same urbanisation – although this hasn’t been publicly confirmed as he guards his privacy intensely. Click
here to see more.
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It didn’t seem as though life could get much better for Miguel Ángel Jiménez. Back in December 2013, he extended his own record as the oldest winner on the European Tour, with victory in the Hong Kong Open (part of the tour’s international network of events), less than one year after suffering a career-threatening injury (broken tibia) while skiing in Sierra Nevada.
“I was playing very well at the end of the season so it is obviously not a good time for me to get injured,” he said at the time. “When I took up skiing I knew the risks that I was taking but I love it so much I could not stop.” Ever positive, he added that it was not all bad news. “In just a few days I will be opening my new golf school near Torremolinos."
He failed to make the cut in his comeback event, the Open de España in April 2013, but one month later, in the tour’s flagship event (after the British Open), the BMW PGA Championship, he finished an incredible fourth, just one shot out of a play-off for the title. After finishing the season a relatively modest 22nd on the money list, he opened his new season (starting at the end of 2013) with that historic win in Hong Kong – his fourth in the event and 20th on the tour – aged 49 years and 337 days.
[caption id="attachment_1299" align="alignright" width="256"]
Spanish Open 2014 at PGA de Catalunya: Photos Jorge Andreu[/caption]
After turning 50 on 5 January 2014, he made it clear he had no intention just yet of turning his attentions to the senior tour – and why would he! He maintained steady, albeit not barnstorming, form up to April, then headed to Augusta for the first major of the year. At the end of the week, he had truly lived up to the nickname affectionately bestowed on him by the US media: “the world’s most interesting golfer”.
His fourth place finish in the US Masters was the second-best performance by a player in his fifties at Augusta (after Sam Snead, joint third in 1963), and he carded the best round of the tournament, a six-under 66, in the third round to start the final day just two strokes off the lead. This matched the lowest score for a senior golfer at Augusta National (together with Ben Hogan in 1967 and Fred Couples in 2010).
Having learned that a US Champions Tour event was being held nearby in Georgia the following week, he decided to make his seniors debut at the Greater Gwinnet Championship and he became the 18th player in the history of the US seniors tour to win on his first start (others include Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus) and the first player to win a European Tour and Champions Tour event in the same season. 
He then took a break to, among other things, marry for a second time – his new wife is Austrian economist Susanne Styblo – then returned to competition in mid-May in the Open de España at the demanding PGA Catalunya course. In 26 previous appearances in the event, his best result had been second in 1999 – but clearly the Málaga-born star’s mojo is currently working overtime.
After a roller-coast final round, he prevailed in a three-way play-off (against experienced Australian Richard Green and 22-year-old Belgian Thomas Pieters) to become the first player to win a main tour event after turning 50. In fact, 14 of his 21 European Tour victories have come in his forties. And the secret to his success? "There is no secret: good food, good wine, good cigars and some exercise!"
His win left him just outside the Ryder Cup automatic qualifying places but boosted his chances of becoming Europe's oldest ever player when the event is held at Gleneagles in September (Ted Ray was 50 years, two months and five days old at the inaugural contest in 1927). "I would love to make the Ryder Cup team. I hope I can make the team and defend the European colours in Scotland."
Apart from continuing to defy his age and beat the tour’s young whippersnappers, Jiménez’s other main objective over the years has been to help promote his homeland, including a ultimately ill-fated (and expensive) organisation of the Open de Andalucía from 2010 to 2012. That commitment remains as strong as ever, and one associated benefit from his recent success has been the international spotlight once again focused on this area.
With more than 60 courses from east of Málaga to Sotogrande in the west, the “Costa del Golf” is Spain’s premier golf destination, and clearly the ideal setting for golfers looking to buy a holiday home or even settle in southern Spain.
[caption id="attachment_1305" align="alignright" width="300"]
Picturesque mountain golf setting in Benahavís[/caption]
The stunning five-bedroom villa featured here, for example, is nestled in an elevated and private position within Marbella Club Golf Resort, enjoying panoramic views over the picturesque valley and championship golf course.
George Clooney bought a mansion in Marbella last year, reportedly in the same urbanisation – although this hasn’t been publicly confirmed as he guards his privacy intensely. Click here to see more.