Miguel A. Jimenez

One of seven brothers, Jimenez started playing golf at age 15 while picking up balls at the range and caddying. Inspired by watching the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle, and Sam Torrance while serving as a caddie in the 1979 Spanish Open at Torrequebrada (Malaga), Jimenez decided to compete seriously. Has represented Spain 14 times in World Cups and has played in the Ryder Cup four times, 1999, 2004, 2008, and 2010. Is nicknamed "The Mechanic" for his preference for driving, rather than repairing, high-performance vehicles, especially his gleaming red Ferrari. He is also a lover of fine wines and Havana cigars. Jimenez first played on the European Tour in 1988 and improved steadily over the next few seasons. His first win on the Tour came at the Piaget Belgian Open in 1992. He has finished inside the top-100 on the European Tour Order of Merit every season since 1989.
In 1994, he finished 5th on the list. One highlight was scoring an exceptionally rare double eagle during the 1994 Volvo Masters at Valderrama when he holed his 3-iron second shot on the par-5 17th hole.
He bounced back in 1998 and 1999, finishing fourth on the Order of Merit in consecutive years and winning four tournaments, including the prestigious Volvo Masters.
In 1999, he finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at the WGC-American Express Championship and made his Ryder Cup debut. The following year, he again finished runner-up to Woods, this time at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
In 2004, he emerged as the season's most prolific champion, claiming four titles before finishing 4th on the European Tour Order of Merit. That mark matched his highest position.
The 2008 season was productive, too, with a pair of wins, including the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where he defeated Oliver Wilson in a playoff. His performances earned a spot on the 2008 Ryder Cup team. He finished the season ranked 4th on the Order of Merit once more.
In February 2010, Jimenez won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, defeating Lee Westwood in a playoff, and in July, he added the Alstom Open de France title, defeating Alejandro Canizares and Francesco Molinari on the first playoff hole. He won his third event of the year at the Omega European Masters, finishing three strokes ahead of Edoardo Molinari.
Jimenez became the oldest winner in European Tour history when he won the 2012 UBS Hong Kong Open at age 48 and 318 days. That was his 19th European Tour victory and first since the Omega European Masters in 2010.
2013 Notes: While skiing in southern Spain on Dec. 29, 2012, Jimenez fell and suffered a right tibial plateau fracture, which required surgery and kept him out of competition for several months. He played in the Open de Espana in April 2013 but missed the cut and returned to the European Tour in late May, finishing T-4th at the BMW PGA Championship. He was the second-round leader at the Open Championship before finishing T-13th.
2014 Notes: Turned 50 in January, then got married in April just after finishing fourth in the Masters. That performance placed him behind Sam Snead for the best finish of a player over 50. Snead finished T-3rd in 1963. A week after his Masters' finish, Jimenez played in his first PGA Tour Champions event, winning on his first try at the Greater Gwinnett Championship. A month later, he won the Open de Espana, and at the age of 50 years and 133 days, he became the oldest champion in European Tour history. At the Lyoness Open, he finished T-5th, and at his second Champions Tour event, the Senior Open Championship, he finished T-8th. On the European Tour, he started the year by winning the Hong Kong Open. In 25 events, he had two wins and seven top 10s. He ended the year 21st in The Race to Dubai and was one of European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley's vice-captain.
2015 Notes: He started the year with a sixth-place finish at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, then in only his third Champions Tour event, won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. In 8 career Champions Tour starts the Spaniard has won twice. He had a two-week stretch in May where he was runner-up at the Open de Espana and the next week at the BMW PGA Championship. Also T-10th at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, 4th at the Senior Open Championship at Sunningdale. On the European Tour played in 24 events and made 21 cuts. He finished 30th in the Race to Dubai thanks to a pair of runner-up finishes.
2016 Notes: On the European Tour, in 13 starts best finish was T-13th at Shenzhen International. On the PGA Tour T-18th at the British Open. On the Champions Tour, played in 13 events and won the Mississippi Gulf Resort. Was runner-up four times at the Principal Charity Classic, Constellation Senior Players, 3M Championship (lost playoff to Joe Durant, who on the first hole made eagle), and U.S. Senior Open. He was T-3rd twice at the Senior Open Championship and the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship. In his 13 starts was in the top ten, 9 times. He finished 4th on the money list and 6th in Schwab Ranking.
2017 Notes: Had another great year on the PGA Tour Champions, winning over a million and a half dollars for the second straight year. In 19 starts, he had 10 top-ten finishes and finished 5th on the money list. He was 2nd at the Chubb Classic, 3 shots back of winner Fred Couples. He successfully defended his Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic when he sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Gene Sauers. He was T-3rd at the Senior PGA Championship, five shots back of Bernhard Langer. He was 4th at the Constellation Senior Players and 2nd at the Shaw Charity Classic, a shot back of winner Scott McCarron. He finished 2nd in a two-hole playoff with Bernhard Langer in late October at the PowerShares QQQ Championship when Langer made a 25-foot birdie putt for the win.
2018 Notes: Played in 21 PGA Tour Champions events with 13 top-ten finishes. He was 4th at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, playing his final 51 holes bogey-free for the week. Jimenez and teammate Jose Maria Olazabal birdied the last two holes and finished one shot back of the playoff at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge. He won at the Regions Tradition for not only his first Senior major, but he now has won at least once a year for the last five years on the PGA Tour Champions. Finished 5th at the Senior PGA Championship, then T-2nd at the U.S. Senior Open, just a shot back of winner David Toms. At the Senior Open Championship, Jimenez made a 12-foot par putt on St. Andrews' 17th hole to preserve a one-shot lead, and a par on No. 18 gave him the victory over defending champion Bernhard Langer. Jimenez closed with a final-round 69 and finished with a 12-under total for his second major victory of the year. Was T-3rd at the Boeing Classic, he shot a final-round 67 to finish 5 shots back of winner Scott Parel. Jimenez shot rounds of 64-66-67 to finish 5th at the Shaw Charity Classic, 2 shots back of winner Scott Parel. He was T-5th at the SAS Championship. Led the Invesco QQQ Championship after the second round before finishing T-10th for his 13th top-10 of the season. Fell from No. 2 to No. 3 in the Charles Schwab Cup. He entered the Charles Schwab Cup Championship 3rd in the standings and was one of six players mathematically capable of winning the Charles Schwab Cup. He finished the tournament T-24th and was fifth in the final standings. He ended the year as the only player to post top-10 finishes in all five majors.
On the European Tour, he finished T-7th at the UBS Hong Kong Open and T-12th at the Shot Clock Masters. He was also 2nd in the Costa Blanca Benidorm Senior Golf Masters.
2019 Notes: Played in 21 PGA Tour Champions events with eight top-ten finishes. Beat Olin Browne and Bernhard Langer in a playoff to win the Chubb Classic. The win was his seventh of his career and marked the sixth straight season he has won on PGA Tour Champions. Was T-6th at the U.S. Senior Open, T-10th at the Senior Open Championship, T-6th at Dick's Sporting Goods Open, and T-7th at the Boeing Classic. With a final round 63, he won the Dominion Energy Charity by two shots over Tommy Tolles. At the Invesco QQQ was T-5th, three shots back of the Montgomerie/Langer playoff. He was T-4th at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, five shots back of the Maggert/Goosen playoff.
2020 & 2021 Notes: Played in 32 PGA Tour Champions events with 17 top-tens and finished 3rd in the Charles Schwab Cup. In his first start, he won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, beating Fred Couples and Ernie Els with a birdie on the second hole. He was T-5th at the Cologuard Classic, five shots back of winner Bernhard Langer. Was T-3rd a the Bridgestone Senior Players, three shots back of winner Jerry Kelly. With a final-round 65 won Sanford International by a shot over Steve Flesch. He was 4th at the TimberTech Championship, two shots back of winner Darren Clarke. In 2021, events were T-8th at the 2021 Cologuard Classic and T-9th at the Chubb Classic. He was T-8th at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, eight shots back of winner Alex Cejka. Leading after rounds one and two at the American Family Insurance Championship, shot a final round 69 by Jerry Kelly shot 66 to win by a shot over Jimenez. Was T-3rd at Dick's Sporting Good Open, two shots back of winner Cameron Beckman. Finished T-8th at the U.S. Senior Open and then shot a final round 65 to finish 2nd at the Senior Open Championship, a shot back of winner Stephen Dodd. Was T-4th at the Sanford International, Jenenez shot a final round 66 and was two back of the Darren Clarke/K.J. Choi/Steve Flesch playoff. At the Furyk & Friends finished 2nd, two shots back of winner Phil Mickelson. The following week was runner-up again at the SAS Championship, losing a playoff to Lee Janzen, who birdied the first playoff hole. He was T-2nd at the TimberTech Championship two shots back of winner Steven Alker. He was T-7th at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Shot a final round 64 and was four shots back of winner Phil Mickelson.
2022 Notes: Played in 23 PGA Tour Champions events with 16 top-ten finishes. He was 5th on the Schwab rankings and 5th on the money list, earning $2,247,749. He won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, becoming the second three-time winner of the event (2015, 2020, 2022). He defeated Steven Alker on the second playoff hole after carding rounds of 67-66-66. He marked his 11th win on PGA Tour Champions, winning at least once in eight consecutive seasons. He was T-5th at the Chubb Classic, six shots back of winner Bernhard Langer. Became the first player to win two of the first three events of the season on PGA Tour Champions since 2006 (Loren Roberts) with his victory at the Cologuard Classic. He made two holes-in-one during the tournament (Round 3/No. 14, Round 1/No. 7) and earned his 12th win on the Champions Tour. Shot a final round 65 to beat Woody Austin and Bernhard Langer by four shots. Was T-8th at the Rapiscan Systems Classic and Insperity Invitational. Was T-3rd at the Regions Tradition, seven shots back of winner Steve Stricker. Finished T-4th at the Kitchenaid Senior PGA Championship, seven shots back of winner Steven Alker. He was T-3rd at the American Family Insurance Championship, two shots back of winner Thongchai Jaidee. The following week was T-7th at the Senior Players Championship. He won the Boeing Classic two shots ahead of David McKenzie. Was T-5th at the SAS Championship, T-8th at the TimberTech Championship, and T-4th in the season-ending Charles Schwab.
2023 Notes: He played in 23 PGA Tour Champions events with 11 top-ten finishes. He was 10th on the Schwab rankings and 10th on the money list, earning $1,562,365. He started the season 9th at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. After co-leading in the first round, he was T-7th at the Trophy Hassan II and T-4th at the Hoag Classic. He was T-5th at The Galleri Classic and 8th at the Insperity Invitational. He was 2nd at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, four shots back of winner Stephen Ames. He was T-5th at the Regions Tradition, eight shots back of winner Steve Stricker. Making his 6th start in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, finished T-5th at 9-under 279, marking his fourth top-5 finish in the event. Closed with 8-under 64 to finish T-6th at the Principal Charity Classic. Marked his ninth top-10 in his first 10 starts of the season. In search of a fourth consecutive top-10 finish in the DICK?S Sporting Goods Open, and 10th of the season (12 starts). He finished 8th and tied the low round of the day in round two with a bogey-free 8-under 64 to reach 12-under 132 and tie at the top. The 64 matched his low round of the season and was his third 8-under 64 in his most recent six rounds on PGA Tour Champions. The defending champion at the Boeing Classic finished runner-up in 2023. He carded scores of 68-67-69 to finish 12-under, seven shots back of winner Stephen Ames, thus marking his 11th top-10 finish in his first 16 starts of the 2023 season. Was 14th in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
2024 Notes: At the Trophy Hassan II shot 73-71-72 to finish T-9th. The 2022 Cologuard Classic champion closed with a bogey-free 66 to finish T-7th. Carded scores of 70-69-70 en route to a T-8th finish at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.