Jimenez, 49, defended the title he won last year and became the oldest player to win on the European Tour after sinking an 18-foot birdie on the first playoff hole to beat Thailand’s Prom Meesawat and Stuart Manley of Wales.
‘It just gets better and better. I love Hong Kong and this course,’ said Jimenez, who extended his record as the oldest player to win on the European Tour to 49 years and 337 days.
‘This is my fourth and it was my hardest. When you need to play a playoff, you need to play one more hole, and against two guys also trying to win is hard. But my experience paid off,’ said Jimenez who adds this title to ones he won in 2004, ‘07 and ‘12.
It was also his 20th career win on the European Tour, bringing the Spaniard to within one of Scotland’s Sam Torrance. ‘I just love this course. It is an old-fashioned course where accuracy off the tee counts. You have to control the ball here,’ said Jimenez who began the day two shots behind overnight leader Manley.
After the final round, all three players finished on 12-under 268. Meesawat produced a nerveless display of top-class putting to card a final-round 5-under 65 that included two eagles on the 3rd and 13th holes, which pushed him into the lead for most of the last day.
The Thai player was playing ahead of Jimenez and Manley, and took the clubhouse lead to watch nervously as first Jimenez and then Manley caught up with him. ‘I was very pleased with my round,’ Meesawat said. ‘But I had a few chances to collect a couple more birdies. Unfortunately they fell short and in the playoff I had a bad approach shot.’
Jimenez knocked in a birdie on the 17th and then Manley needed a last-gasp chip from the edge of the green to hole a birdie on the 18th to force the three-way playoff.
Jimenez’s experience held him in good stead in the playoff as the Spaniard held his nerve to drive his approach shot at the tricky par-4 410-yard 18 on to the green. Manley had sliced his shot on to a corporate box roof while Meesawat’s approach fell just short of the green.
Both missed their birdie putts but Jimenez made no mistake as he coolly knocked in the winning shot that earned him the victory. Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands finished fourth after carding an 11-under 269, while three shots further behind on 8-under 272 and tied-fifth were Spaniards Javier Colomo and Jose Manuel Lara and Angelo Que of the Philippines.
Jimenez’s fourth Hong Kong Open title matched the record held by Taiwan’s Hsieh Yong Yo, who won the tournament in 1963, ‘64, ‘75 and ‘78.
Disappointing final day for Indians
HONG KONG: Indian golfer Shiv Kapur collapsed in the final round and signed a disappointing card of three-over 73 to finish tied 12th after being in a position of contention at the USD 1.3 million Hong Kong Open.
Kapur, lying tied second at nine-under after three rounds, finished at six-under 274 and picked up USD 19,695 as his winnings. Also tied at 12th was Anirban Lahiri (69).
Up at the top, Spanish veteran star Miguel Angel Jimenez held off Thailand’s Prom Meesawat and Stuart Manley of Wales in the first-hole of a sudden-death play-off. It was a record-equalling fourth Hong Kong Open for Jimenez. Almost all the Indians had a disappointing final day. Jyoti Randhawa (72) finished tied 30th at three-under 277 while Himmat Rai (73) ended tied 57th at even par 280. Sujjan Singh (70) and SSP Chowrasia (75) were tied 65th at two-over 282.
Jimenez, who will turn 50 in January, successfully retained the title after a dramatic day at the Hong Kong Golf Club when he exquisitely rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to reduce Prom to a second play-off loss in three weeks.
The wily Spaniard rewrote a slice of his own history in becoming the oldest winner on the European Tour at the age of 49 years and 337 days and also became the second oldest winner on the Asian Tour.
Manley forced his way into the play-off with a stunning chip-in birdie on the 18th green during regulation play. Jimenez, who was recently named as the playing captain for the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM, credited his experience for sealing his place in the winner’s circle once more at the USD 1.3 million event which was celebrating its 55th edition.
‘It’s always important to have experience for anything in life but I must not forget that the players here are also very good and they all play well,’ said Jimenez. Prom’s sheer determination and hunger to win his second Asian Tour title was for all to see when he overcame a three-shot deficit at the start of his round and powered his way to the top.
‘It just gets better and better. I love Hong Kong and this course,’ said Jimenez, who extended his record as the oldest player to win on the European Tour to 49 years and 337 days.
‘This is my fourth and it was my hardest. When you need to play a playoff, you need to play one more hole, and against two guys also trying to win is hard. But my experience paid off,’ said Jimenez who adds this title to ones he won in 2004, ‘07 and ‘12.
It was also his 20th career win on the European Tour, bringing the Spaniard to within one of Scotland’s Sam Torrance. ‘I just love this course. It is an old-fashioned course where accuracy off the tee counts. You have to control the ball here,’ said Jimenez who began the day two shots behind overnight leader Manley.
After the final round, all three players finished on 12-under 268. Meesawat produced a nerveless display of top-class putting to card a final-round 5-under 65 that included two eagles on the 3rd and 13th holes, which pushed him into the lead for most of the last day.
The Thai player was playing ahead of Jimenez and Manley, and took the clubhouse lead to watch nervously as first Jimenez and then Manley caught up with him. ‘I was very pleased with my round,’ Meesawat said. ‘But I had a few chances to collect a couple more birdies. Unfortunately they fell short and in the playoff I had a bad approach shot.’
Jimenez knocked in a birdie on the 17th and then Manley needed a last-gasp chip from the edge of the green to hole a birdie on the 18th to force the three-way playoff.
Jimenez’s experience held him in good stead in the playoff as the Spaniard held his nerve to drive his approach shot at the tricky par-4 410-yard 18 on to the green. Manley had sliced his shot on to a corporate box roof while Meesawat’s approach fell just short of the green.
Both missed their birdie putts but Jimenez made no mistake as he coolly knocked in the winning shot that earned him the victory. Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands finished fourth after carding an 11-under 269, while three shots further behind on 8-under 272 and tied-fifth were Spaniards Javier Colomo and Jose Manuel Lara and Angelo Que of the Philippines.
Jimenez’s fourth Hong Kong Open title matched the record held by Taiwan’s Hsieh Yong Yo, who won the tournament in 1963, ‘64, ‘75 and ‘78.
Disappointing final day for Indians
HONG KONG: Indian golfer Shiv Kapur collapsed in the final round and signed a disappointing card of three-over 73 to finish tied 12th after being in a position of contention at the USD 1.3 million Hong Kong Open.
Kapur, lying tied second at nine-under after three rounds, finished at six-under 274 and picked up USD 19,695 as his winnings. Also tied at 12th was Anirban Lahiri (69).
Up at the top, Spanish veteran star Miguel Angel Jimenez held off Thailand’s Prom Meesawat and Stuart Manley of Wales in the first-hole of a sudden-death play-off. It was a record-equalling fourth Hong Kong Open for Jimenez. Almost all the Indians had a disappointing final day. Jyoti Randhawa (72) finished tied 30th at three-under 277 while Himmat Rai (73) ended tied 57th at even par 280. Sujjan Singh (70) and SSP Chowrasia (75) were tied 65th at two-over 282.
Jimenez, who will turn 50 in January, successfully retained the title after a dramatic day at the Hong Kong Golf Club when he exquisitely rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to reduce Prom to a second play-off loss in three weeks.
The wily Spaniard rewrote a slice of his own history in becoming the oldest winner on the European Tour at the age of 49 years and 337 days and also became the second oldest winner on the Asian Tour.
Manley forced his way into the play-off with a stunning chip-in birdie on the 18th green during regulation play. Jimenez, who was recently named as the playing captain for the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM, credited his experience for sealing his place in the winner’s circle once more at the USD 1.3 million event which was celebrating its 55th edition.
‘It’s always important to have experience for anything in life but I must not forget that the players here are also very good and they all play well,’ said Jimenez. Prom’s sheer determination and hunger to win his second Asian Tour title was for all to see when he overcame a three-shot deficit at the start of his round and powered his way to the top.