Jimenez ready to defend in Paris

Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez is ready to defend the French Open title he won in such dramatic fashion a year ago.
Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez is ready to defend the French Open title he won in such dramatic fashion a year ago.
The 47-year-old still has memories of how he nearly let the title slip from his fingers right at the death.
Two shots ahead with one hole left to play, Jimenez promptly hit his eight-iron approach shot right into the lake short of the green.
“We are human. I feel like I lose my rhythm – like the pressure is getting to me,” he said at the time.
He ended up double-bogeying the hole, which forced him into a play-off with Francesco Molinari and Alejandro Canizares.
Fortunately, the shock of suddnely finding themselves still in the running must have been too much for the duo, as Canizares found the water twice on the first extra hole, and Molinari could do no better than bogey.
A par thanks to a 15-foot putt sealed the deal for the Spaniard, as he became the oldest winner of continental Europe’s oldest golf title.
It helped Jimenez to achieve a spot on the Ryder Cup team for the fourth time, with all but one of those appearances coming after the age of 40.
Jimenez is yet to win this year, though he does have two runner-up finishes to his name, narrowly losing out to Paul Casey in Bahrain and Lee Westwood in Korea.
Though he won’t have to contend with either of those two at Le Golf National this week, he will be going up against the likes of world number four Martin Kaymer, a winner of the event two years ago, and big-hitting American Bubba Watson, making a rare appearance on the other side of the Atlantic.
In fact, it’s Watson’s first ever appearance at a regular European Tour event, as he gears up for the Open later in July. He’ll be hoping to add to his two victories on the PGA Tour earlier this season, though his form of late has not been great – he’s failed to secure a top-30 finish in his last five starts.
Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, will be trying one more time to secure a place in the Open with a top-five finish this week, though it won’t be easy. It’s been three years since the Scotsman has managed that feat.
He’ll take heart from the fact that it was at this very course, though, which will also host the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Latest
-
News
Defiant Lee Westwood does not believe playing in LIV should harm Ryder Cup hopes
Westwood doesn’t agree with penalties and sanctions.
-
News
Shane Lowry welcomes closer ties between Tours in response to threat from LIV
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced the next phase of their strategic alliance.
-
News
Padraig Harrington fears LIV series poses threat to future of DP World Tour
The US Senior Open champion thinks there is only room for the PGA and one other tour in the world game.
-
News
Steve Stricker makes Padraig Harrington sweat as Irishman wins US Senior Open
The pair were rival captains in last year’s Ryder Cup in Wisconsin.
-
News
Golfers warned of further sanctions if they continue to play in LIV breakaway
The DP World Tour has issued fines of £100,000 and tournament bans to its members who played in the inaugural LIV Golf event earlier this month
-
European Tour
DP World Tour hits members who played inaugural LIV series with £100,000 fines
They have also been banned from several forthcoming tournaments including the Scottish Open.
-
News
Rory McIlroy not impressed as Brooks Koepka becomes latest big name to join LIV
The world number two labelled the players who have joined the new series as “duplicitous” for the way they have handled their breakaway.
-
The Open
R&A confirms LIV Golf Series players will be allowed to compete at Open
The 150th Open Championship will get underway at St Andrews in three weeks’ time.
-
US Open
Matt Fitzpatrick turns to other major winners for advice on dealing with fame
Fitzpatrick won the US Open on Sunday.
-
News
Brooks Koepka set to join Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series
Koepka’s brother Chase played in the opening event at Centurion Club earlier this month.