TUCSON, ARIZONA (AP) – Miguel Angel Jimenez sensed a breeze from the right, saw the pin on the left, and reached for his 6-iron. The sweet-swinging Spaniard thought he might be able to make it close with his shot shape and hole position.
He had not anticipated seeing a second hole-in-one in the same tournament.
Jimenez made his second ace of the Cologuard Classic with a 6-iron on the 178-yard 14th hole, and he finished with a 7-under 65 on Sunday for his second win in three PGA Tour Champions starts this season.
Jimenez, who was wearing the traditional conquistador’s helmet handed to the winner, stated, “I played a great 6-iron, it went at the hole and, ace.” “You never consider it.” You know you want to make a nice shot and get as near to the hole as possible.”
At Tucson National, Jimenez opened the final round with a two-shot lead after a birdie-eagle start. With a birdie on the par-5 12th, reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion Bernhard Langer cut the advantage to three, but Jimenez responded with one of his own in the group behind.
With an ace to match the one he had at No. 7 in the first round, the 58-year-old Spaniard put an end to any hopes of a late rally. Jimenez finished with four straight pars to finish at 18-under 198 and win the PGA Tour Champions for the 12th time.
Langer shot 65 to tie for 14th place with Woody Austin (66). Jerry Kelly finished fourth after shooting a 70 for a total of 11 under par.
Austin commented, “It’s really good when you make two holes-in-one in the same week.” “Right there are four shots.”
Jimenez won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii to start the season, and he finished fifth at the Chubb Classic in Florida last week. He shot a 66 in the first round of the Cologuard Classic, thanks in part to his ace, then recovered from two final-round wayward drives to shoot a 67 in the second.
In his final round, Jimenez shot 4-under 32 on the front nine and recovered from a bogey on the par-4 ninth, which he made after hitting behind a trailer to the left of the fairway, by getting up and down for birdie just short of the par-5 12th.
Jimenez, who has 10 aces on the European Tour, celebrated his latest hole-in-one by raising his arms and doing a little shimmy. He then strolled onto the green arm-in-arm with Kelly.
In last year’s Cologuard Classic, Tim Petrovic had two aces.
Jimenez clinched the championship with a two-putt par. Last year, he came in fifth place.
“I’ve been close a couple of times in the last couple of years I’ve played this tournament,” he added. “I had a very excellent, solid game.”
Langer got off to a fast start in his quest to win consecutive tournaments on the over-50 tour, making four birdies in his first six holes. On his back nine, the 64-year-old German made three birdies and salvaged par on No. 18 after hitting his drive into the water.
Last week in Florida, Langer shattered his own record as the oldest winner on the PGA Tour Champions, putting him two behind Hale Irwin’s 45 victories.
“My goal has always been to be in contention going into the final nine holes and then see who plays the best nine,” Langer said. “I was able to pull it off.”
Austin made three birdies before bogeying the par-4 ninth hole, then went on a three-birdie streak that began at No. 11. On the par-5 17th, he added another birdie, and on the tricky 18th, he barely missed another.
Austin commented, “I hit a lot of excellent strokes.” “Today, I only missed one green.” If I can keep this up and make some putts like I did on the back nine, I think I’ll have a great year.”
Jimenez is already off to a good start, with two victories and two aces.
