Miguel-Angel Jimenez of Spain won the £600,000 (US$1.2 million) BMW PGA Championships on Sunday after a play-off against Oliver Wilson of England.
The 44-year old won the second play-off hole, after holing a 60cm putt to secure a birdie four, against Wilson’s par five. Both players shot 68 to finish as joint leaders on 11 under par, after a nerve-wracking final afternoon, when the lead changed hands on several occasions.
But the drama continued into the play-off, as the advantage swung first to Jimenez and then to Wilson on the first extra hole, the par five 18th. Despite reaching the green in two, with Wilson languishing in a greenside bunker, Jimenez could only manage a five, leaving 27-year-old Wilson with a 3m putt to win. But his effort slid out of the hole and the pair headed back to the 18th tee to try again.
PHOTO: AP
Second time around, Jimenez again held the upper hand after his second shot found the heart of the 18th green in two, with Wilson on the green in three. This time Jimenez needed only two putts to complete the biggest victory of his career.
“It’s great, fantastic,” Jimenez said afterwards. “Mentally I am very nice. At my age you just relax, enjoy yourself and that’s the most important thing.”
He now lies in third spot in the Ryder Cup standings.
“I think [captain] Nick Faldo will be pleased. I am very calm, very experienced and one thing is guaranteed — I am going to give it 120 percent,” Jimenez said.
But while Wilson and Jimenez fought out their fate on the 18th green, Robert Karlsson of Sweden was rueing the putting collapse on the final green that cost him not only a place in the play-off but also outright second place.
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