The pony-tail, the hint of a pot-belly, the penchant for a nice Rioja and the cheery smile that can often be wreathed in the smoke from a fine cigar – it could only be Miguel Angel Jimenez.
In an era of flat stomachs, fitness regimes and seemingly healthy diets that consist of twigs, seeds and water sourced from the purified clouds of Heaven, the Spaniard stands firm as his own man.
While his compatriot, Sergio Garcia, battled away in the shadow of a race controversy, Jimenez emerged quietly from the shadows at Wentworth to tee-up in his 600th European Tour event. As one of only six players to have achieved that feat – Sam Torrance (706 appearances), Barry Lane (682), Roger Chapman (619), Eamonn Darcy (610) and Malcolm McKenzie (605) are also in that rarefied group – Jimenez is one of the game's most enduring characters. To mark the occasion, the 49-year-old from Malaga was presented with a unique tantalus decanter containing a 600-year-old whisky by the European Tour's chief executive, George O'Grady.
Given the dour, damp conditions in Surrey yesterday, Jimenez could have done with a wee dram to warm the cockles following an eventful 76. After his well-documented race relations faux pas, O'Grady probably could have done with a right good gargle, too. The toast, however, was to Jimenez. "You start to play and you never think about it and now, you look back and say 'where has the time gone?', said Jimenez, who has enjoyed 25 colourful and unbroken years on the European circuit. "It's a nice experience, a nice life and the only thing I'm disappointed with is that it goes too fast."
Thirty years after his maiden European Tour appearance at the Spanish Open in 1983, Jimenez now boasts a cv that sparkles with 19 Tour titles and four Ryder Cup contests as a player. It's been quite a journey. "I have seen so much change, and so many players," added the 2008 BMW PGA champion, who broke a leg in a skiing accident in December but is now back in fine fettle.
"I think I have survived four generations on the tour. When I started I was playing with Seve, Lyle and Woosnam. Then came Olazabal, Faldo and Monty. Then you had Clarke and Westwood, guys like that. And now when I go on tour, they are kids – Rory and all of these young boys are children."
This Spanish auld yin is still going strong, though.
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