Golf; Cigars + Ponytail = Miguel Angel Jimenez
With curly hair, cigar stuck between the lips and tummy tucking out of his polo shirt, Miguel Angel Jimenez is one h**l of a golf experience. The man is not only a golfer, but he is an entire brand of golf. However, it is yet undecided
whether he should be considered as a man with foul language, no workout, and vague statements.
The Spaniard joined the European Tour in 1988 and within a span of 22 years reeled eighteen titles. There have been dry periods in his career, but the Ferrari lover came off it successfully and with souring prowess.
Popularly known as ‘The Mechanic’, Jimenez use to work on a workshop and it was in 1992 on the stage of the Belgian Open, that he claimed his debut title. Before that, Jimenez was not keen about the sport and took it as second
love. However, during 1998 and 1999, the 46-year-old got himself acknowledged as a European sensation. During the era, he bagged four titles, which included the Volvo Masters. Moreover, he finished fourth on order of merit in both the years, which was yet
another accomplishment.
During the same period, Jimenez finished second in the WGC – American Express Championship and got selected for the Ryder Cup squad. Once again, dry spell took over and after a gap of seven years, the veteran revived his aura and
proved the world that he was part of the sport, which was called golf.
He entered the following year with the same prowess and for the first time, Jimenez won the Omega Hong Kong Open and the Celtic Manor Wales Open. Three years later, the pony-tailed Spaniard added two more titles to his showcase:
the first one was the Hong Kong Open and the second was BMW PGA Championship, where he hammered Oliver Wilson in a playoff.
The most surprising and energetic form was witnessed in 2010. The 46-year-old rolled into the current year and hammered his first title in February when he beat Lee Westwood in a playoff at the Omega Desert Dubai Classic. With
a gap of six months, Jimenez seized another title at the French Open by defeating Alejandro Canizares and Francesco Molinari in a play-off. To spice-up the year, the veteran won the Omega European Masters and for the third time it was through a victory at
play-off. However, this time, he defeated Francesco’s elder brother, Eduardo Molinari.
Owing to three victories on the European Tour, the veteran was selected for the Ryder Cup team in which he represented Europe.
The player who was inspired by Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle, and Sam Torrance worked in a golf club picking up balls and later became a caddie. In 1979, at the Spanish Open, he decided to take up the game seriously. Initially he
went to the Qualifying School, but after that, he appeared in 500 tournaments on the European Tour.
However, recently he made an appearance in Sun City where the Nedbank Challenge took place, but failed to turn on his charm. Despite that, the veteran is 24th
according to the official world rankings and is considered as a major threat when present in the field. Four more years are left and then the player will qualify for the Champions Tour. The player is eyeing a career in there, but for the time being he
is concentrating on a new garage, which he established in Valencia.
Miguel Angel Jimenez is known for his solid iron play and perfect strokes other than hard-core love for sports cars and Cuban cigars. However, what does he plan for the next year is yet to be sorted out.
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