Miguel Angel Jimenez: Golf's record-breaking veteran toasts victory
May 19, 2014
Miguel Angel Jimenez boasts arguably the most eye-catching warmup routine in golf: arms outstretched with a club above his head, squatting, usually with a cigar protruding from his mouth.
Known as "The Mechanic,"
his routine is clearly not in need of fixing -- on Sunday the Spaniard
became the first man over the age of 50 to win on the European Tour.
His first victory at his
home tournament, the Spanish Open, came at his 27th attempt following a
three-way playoff against Australian Richard Green and Thomas Pieters of
Belgium.
While many of his peers
are constantly pounding around in the gyms getting ready for the major
tournaments, Jimenez's approach is more alternative.
"I love to ski (he broke
his leg doing so in 2012), I love to drink, I love to smoke, I love to
compete and I love to have time with my friends," he said. "I don't want
to stop any of those things. I'm sorry but I'm honest.
"I do what I like in my
life and I'm not going to change that. If a major is coming then it will
be 'wow' but, if the major is not coming, I'm still going to do what I
like with my life."
It is an approach that
has brought out the best in him in his advancing years in the sport. Of
his 21 career wins on the European Tour, two-thirds of them have come in
the last 10 years.
The latest one, which he
clinched on the first playoff hole, eclipsed his previous record for the
oldest winner on the European Tour at December's Hong Kong Open, which
came less than a month before his 50th birthday.
Now into his sixth
decade, he is targeting yet more records. The first is to become the
oldest European Ryder Cup player in September's clash with the U.S. --
which would beat a milestone set back in 1927 by Ted Ray, who was 50
years, two months and five days old when he captained Great Britain in
the inaugural event.
Also, should Jimenez win
a major title -- he came close with his fourth place at last month's
Masters -- he would beat the record of Julius Boros, winner of the 1968
U.S. PGA Championship aged 48.
I would love to make the
Ryder Cup team," admitted Jimenez, who is now sixth in the European
points list as he seeks to reclaim his place, having been a non-playing
vice-captain for 2012's "Miracle at Medinah."
"I would break all the records at 50."
As for this weekend's
victory, he added: "There's no words to describe what it means to me.
You need to be into my skin but I'm not going to let you. It's amazing.
"All the victories are
special, all are unique, some of them give you more money, some less,
but all of them are important. You play to win and when you make it you
have to appreciate it."
Jimenez has no plans yet
to become a fulltime member of the seniors' circuit, though he won his
debut event on the U.S. Champions Tour last month and has said he is
likely to line up at July's Senior British Open at Royal Porthcawl a
week after the third regular major of the season at Hoylake.
"I love to compete," he said. "It's the only think I know how to do properly in my life."
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