The amiable Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez will return to Sun City for his third Nedbank
Golf Challenge appearance, looking to improve dramatically on his first two visits, when
he finished last and second last.
At 44 years of age, he is the second oldest player in the field after Kenny Perry, but
his age that doesn’t mean he can’t give the ball a good crack with his unique,
rhythmical swing; he averages over 280 yards off the tee and is incredibly accurate with
it, a characteristic that will serve him well at Sun City.
He has earned his place in the elite twelve man field thanks to a surge up the world
rankings in 2008 and, with two tournaments remaining on his schedule, was in fourth place
on the European Tour’s Order of Merit. His previous best finishes were fourth in
1998, 1999 and 2004.
Key to his success this year has been his best ever year with the putter; his accuracy
and consistency from tee to green have never been in question, so when the putter is hot
he invariably finds himself at the top of leaderboards.
The bulk of his almost €2 million in earnings came via two wins which broke a
victory drought that had spanned the previous two years on tour. He started the 2008
season in fine style, edging out Robert Karlsson for the UBS Hong Kong Open title and then
secured what must rank as the biggest win of his career, the BMW PGA Championship at
Wentworth which, after the Open Championship is universally regarded as the flagship event
of the European Tour.
His win in a playoff over rising English star, Oliver Wilson, earned him the biggest
cheque of his professional career, a whopping €750 000, which cemented his place in
the top five in Europe, guaranteed his best season since 2004 and took his tally of
European Tour victories to fifteen.
2004 had produced no fewer than four victories for Jimenez, but a limited playing
schedule ruled him out of contention for the Order of Merit title. It did guarantee him
his second Ryder Cup team place, after having made his debut in 1999.
After missing out on participation in the record victory of 2006 in Ireland, he got his
third call-up to Nick Faldo’s team that took on the USA at Valhalla earlier this
year. A great team man, as most Spanish golfers appear to be, he has also represented his
country a staggering eleven times in golf’s World Cup.
One of the game’s great characters and non-conformists – see the pony-tail in
the hair and the ever-present cigar – his famous response to a request for his
requirements in the team room at the 2004 Ryder Cup was: "Rioia wine, cigars and an
espresso machine", all of which were duly provided!
After turning professional in 1982, he showed great resilience and determination in
going back to the European Tour’s qualifying school three consecutive years from 1986
to 1988, having only taken up the game at the relatively late age of 15.
One of seven brothers born in the southern Spanish town of Malaga, his first
introduction to golf was as a caddie at the local course and he quickly took to it as a
player.
He has a great love of motor cars – not least his beloved red Ferrari – and
has earned himself the nickname ‘Mechanic’ among his fellow professionals.
Things have been mechanically pure in 2008 and Jiminez, in some of the form of his life,
will look to end his year in style in the heat of Sun City. | 
