HK OPEN | REVIEW
Miguel Three
Jiménez joins the legendary Peter Thomson as a three-time winner of the UBS Hong Kong Open after a performance for the ages, writes Alex Jenkins
J
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
ust like his favourite Rioja, Miguel Angel Jiménez just keeps improving with age. The Spaniard’s third UBS Hong Kong Open victory, which made him, at the age of 48, the oldest player in history to win a European Tour title, was quite simply the best of the lot.
An eminently likeable character, Jiménez is the complete antithesis of today’s modern pro. In an era of flat bellies and distant personalities, he is known throughout the golfing world for his love of wine and cigars, his distaste for the gym and a downright comical warm-up and stretching routine. There can be few in the game that are as comfortable in their own skin as Jiménez, but one gets the feeling that with his greying red pony-tail and little pot belly, he probably doesn’t get the credit as a player – as a competitor – that he deserves. But as those who followed him over those final 18 holes at Fanling will attest, the man has an almost unmatched desire to win. Yes, he will wave to the galleries, share a joke with his playing partner and smile into whichever TV camera happens to be pointing in his direction, but when he’s in the hunt for a win, he can be as ruthless as they come. It was a testament to the quality of Jiménez’s play that he only recorded two bogeys in four days – both of which came in his first round. In actual fact, the now 19-time European Tour winner didn’t enjoy the best of putting weeks, which just goes to show how good his long game
A shot ahead with only one hole to go, Jiménez played Fanling’s famous closer imperiously. A drive down the middle was followed by a crisp 8-iron to 15feet. Two putts later and the Spaniard was crowned Hong Kong Open champion for a third time; Fredrik Andersson Hed (opposite) can’t believe his last-ditch birdie effort didn’t drop 28
Photography by Charles McLaughlin, Daniel Wong and Kimi Tai
HKGOLFER.COM
HKGOLFER.COM
was. Finding fairway after fairway and firing at the pins with laser-like accuracy, the truth is he could have raced away from the field had his putter been working on all cylinders. “It’s very nice – I hope it’s not the last one [tournament win],” grinned Jiménez, who revealed he had been enjoying a post-round drink with his old friend HKGA Chief Executive Iain Valentine in the event's Public Village after each round, which he clearly believed had been doing him the power of good. Asked about the secret of his longevity Jiménez, responded: “This is maybe the olive oil in my joints, and the nice Rioja wine and those things keep you fit and flexible. “But I really love this place. I love the golf course – it’s a great golf course where you have to control the ball very well, it’s not a matter of distance.” An example of Jiménez’s sublime control was his second shot in the final round to the long and brutal par-4 ninth. The hole has proved to be a card-wrecker over the years but the man from Malaga played it superbly. Finding himself well over 200 yards from the flag, Jiménez cut a beautiful little 5-wood into the breeze which finished within tap-in distance for his third consecutive birdie.
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
29
Finding fairway after fairway and firing at the pins with laser-like accuracy, the truth is that Jiménez could have raced away from the field had his putter been working on all cylinders. Although there were still another nine holes to play, the timing of the play was crucial, giving the Spaniard what proved to be an unassailable three-stroke lead.
Matteo Manassero, a winner in Singapore the week before, vaulted in contention with a third-round 64. Fanling clearly agrees with the 19-year-old. In three visits to Hong Kong, the Italian has two top-five finishes to his name 30
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
While it was the fast-finishing Fredrik Andersson Hed who ended the closest to Jiménez after 72 holes – the Swede was mighty unfortunate that his last-gasp birdie putt didn’t lip into the hole rather than lip out – it was Michael Campbell, Matteo Manassero and Zhang Lian-wei which added the most intrigue to the “also-ran” story. Manassero, a victor in Singapore the week before, making him the first teenager to win three times on the European Tour, appeared set to be Jiménez’s closest challenger in the final round after a fantastic 64 on Saturday. Alas for the 19-year-old, who finished in a tie for second place at Fanling in 2010, two late bogeys scuppered his chance, but he’ll surely be back – most likely as one of the favourites – next time around. Midway through the third round it looked as though we had been transported back 10 years to 2002, given the leaderboard we were presented with featured not only the veteran Jiménez but
also the 43-year-old Campbell and, even more surprisingly, the 47-year-old Zhang. The former Chinese number one plays an extremely limited schedule these days, but gave the record galleries plenty to cheer with a quite staggering display on the greens. Opening with successive rounds of 66, Zhang remained in contention on day three thanks to a putter that can only be described as red-hot. With his unorthodox swing, Zhang will never win any style awards, but his short game, over a course he knows so well, was exemplarily. It couldn’t be sustained – the golfing gods are not that kind – but Zhang, who eventually finished in a tie for 15th after the batteries died on Sunday, would take away a lot from the week. “I have many friends in Hong Kong, so this has been a special tournament for me,” said the Shenzhen-based Zhang, who credited the then 59-year-old Tom Watson’s performance at The Open in 2009 for inspiring his new-found love for the game. “This performance means a lot and, while I’m not happy with the final round, I’m pleased to have played some good golf this week.” Campbell, the 2005 US Open champion, has had a torrid time of things since lifting the World Match Play title seven years ago, but a tie for third in Portugal in October boosted his confidence, and for 63 holes the New Zealander was right in the mix with Jiménez. A scrappy closing stretch demoted Campbell into a tie for eighth, but the ever-popular Kiwi showed something he hasn’t done for years – heart. HKGOLFER.COM
Midway through the third round it looked as though we had been transported back 10 years to 2002, given the leaderboard we were presented with featured not only the veteran Jiménez but also the 43-year-old Campbell and, even more surprisingly, the 47-year-old Zhang.
Clockwise from top: Zhang Lian-wei rolled back the years over the opening three rounds; Michael Campbell is starting to show some of the form that earned him the 2005 US Open title at Pinehurst; Matt Kuchar said he enjoyed everything about his first visit to Hong Kong 32
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
“I can reflect on a very positive week,” declared Campbell. “I felt the desire has returned, the will to win and the belief I can do it again. I’ve still got plenty to work on but it feels great to be involved – to be playing in the final group – once more. I wish this was the beginning of the season and not the end but I’ve got a smile on my face and there’s a lot to be said for that.” He came, he saw, he failed to conquer and 24 hours after missing the cut as defending
champion, Rory McIlroy was sunning himself on a beach in Dubai. Given what it took tournament organizers – with financial aid from the government’s Mega Events Fund – to get the world number one to return to Fanling, his performance – and a first missed cut since the US Open in June – was unfortunate to say the least. Opening with a round of 73 in cool and breezy conditions – his worst at Fanling since his debut appearance in 2007 – McIlroy told the assembled press corps that they shouldn’t read too much into the score and that he had plenty in the tank to bounce back into contention on day two. And for a while we believed him. Starting his second round at the 11th, the Northern Irishman looked like the two-time Major champion that he is with four birdies in his first 10 holes. Lying only four shots off the lead at that point, things all changed at the third. Par-fives are normally meat and drink to the long-hitting McIlroy but, with only an iron in his hand for his second shot, he found a greenside bunker and couldn’t get up and down for birdie. McIlroy’s par proved to be a big momentum stopper, and he went on to make four bogeys in five holes thanks to some decidedly average putting. Needing a birdie at the 10th – his finishing hole – to have any chance of getting through to the weekend, the Ulsterman tugged his wedge approach and trudged off the green with a double bogey after somehow four-putting. “I got off to a great start and then I just started to go the other way,” said the clearly disappointed 23-year-old, who had his tennis star girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki following him inside the ropes. “You know, I just got on a slide and I just sort of couldn’t stop it. It’s just one of those things. I hit it in the wrong spot and misjudged the speed on a couple of putts – that’s just the way it goes.” McIlroy has long professed his love for Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Golf Club, and his legions of fans here will no doubt be hoping that he returns next December when the tournament will be played as one of the first events on the 2014 European Tour schedule. Given that McIlroy has stated that he wants to cut down the number of events he plays outside of the United States next year, this might seem unlikely, but the man himself didn’t rule it out. “I still love this course,” said McIlroy. “It’s just a pity that this year had to end like that ... I’ll have to see where it fits in the schedule [next year] but I always really enjoy coming here.” After McIlroy’s premature departure, the highest ranked player left in the field, world number 17 Matt Kuchar, fired rounds of 66 and 67 over the weekend to finish in solo seventh spot. It has been something of a Hong Kong HKGOLFER.COM
tradition to invite at least one leading American PGA Tour player in recent times, and Kuchar proved to be an enlightened choice. Aside from being a world-class talent, the tall 34-year-old proved to be a hit with both the galleries and the media thanks to his ready smile and willingness to sign every autograph and answer every question. “I’ve had a fantastic time in Hong Kong,” beamed Kuchar, who won this year’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. “I’ve enjoyed this golf course – my game sets up well for Fanling – and everyone has been so nice. I would have liked to have been closer at the end but it was really a lot of fun.” The two-time Ryder Cup player, one of the most consistent players around with 30 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour over the past three seasons, also revealed that he had been spending time with wife Sybi sampling some of Hong Kong’s famous culinary delights, while also taking in the sights. “It’s a fantastic city,” he said. “We’ve been to a couple of nice dinners and it’s been fun. We’ve left the kids at home so we’ve been able to enjoy some adult evenings and enjoy the dinners. We’ve been able to take in the views over the city and just have a lot of fun.” Generally speaking, the performance of Hong Kong players was disappointing. Six local golfers started the event but only one – Timothy Tang – survived the halfway cut. James Stewart, who was playing in his first Hong Kong HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
33
McIlroy has long professed his love for Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Golf Club, and his legions of fans here will no doubt be hoping that he returns next December when the tournament will be played as one of the first events on the 2014 European Tour schedule.
to earn his berth at Fanling, was making his third appearance at the UBS Hong Kong Open but had little go his way with rounds of 80 and 79. “I played so bad, but I was still able to enjoy it,” said Lam, who joined McIlroy, Kuchar, Paul Lawrie and Europe’s Ryder Cup captain José María Olazábal in the “Urban Golf Challenge”, the Hong Kong Open’s curtain-raiser staged in Chater Garden in Central on the eve of the tournament. Instead, it was the 26-year-old Tang who was left flying the Bauhinia for Hong Kong after coming back brilliantly to make it through to the weekend action at Fanling for the first time. After nine holes of his second round, Tang, who lost his Asian Tour card at the end of 2011, was five-over-par for the tournament and seemingly on his way home. But a birdie at the 10th was followed by an eagle at the 13th, where he holed a 25-foot putt, and despite a bogey at the 15th, back-to-back birdies at 16 and 17 saw him through with a shot to spare. “It felt really good,” said Tang of his secondround 67. “I was nervous and the course was playing tough, but I told myself to stay patient and go out there and do my best. It was a big relief.” Tang would finish the tournament in a share of 72nd alongside Australia’s Scott Hend on a total of 291 (11-over), which earned him €2,342 (approximately HK$23,450).
Open since 2008 after winning the qualifying tournament at Kau Sai Chau a month before, failed to get his putter to fire as he carded lacklustre scores of 79 and 75 despite striking the ball nicely, while fellow professionals Wilson Choy (73-79), Jimmy Ko (80-74) and Wong Woon-man (77-77) also found themselves at the foot of the standings. Steven Lam, one of only two amateurs in the field (the other being England’s Edward Richardson), had high expectations heading into the tournament but his form all but disappeared. Lam, who triumphed at the Hong Kong Amateur Close Championship earlier in the year
World number one Rory McIlroy (top) and Hong Kong amateur Steven Lam (seen here with his caddie, Tiffany Chan) both had disappointing weeks. The defending champion finished his second round miserably, while Lam, who won the Hong Kong Amateur Close title at Fanling earlier in the year, couldn’t get anything going in his third Hong Kong Open appearance
2012 UBS Hong Kong Open Final Standings 1
Miguel Angel Jiménez
ESP
65 67 68 65
265
€260,638
2
Fredrik Andersson Hed
SWE
66 66 70 64
266
€173,759
3 Marcus Fraser 4= Stephen Gallacher
AUS SCO
67 69 68 64 68 68 68 65
268 269
€97,897 €66,411
Peter Lawrie
IRL
68 68 67 66
269
€66,411
Matteo Manassero
ITA
67 70 64 68
269
€66,411
7
Matt Kuchar
USA
69 69 66 67
271
€46,915
8= Michael Campbell
NZL
67 64 69 72
272
€37,063
ESP
69 70 65 68
272
€37,063
ENG
69 68 68 68
273
€27,211
Pablo Larrazábal
10= Mark Foster
Anders Hansen
DEN
69 64 70 70
273
€27,211
Thongchai Jaidee
THA
72 66 67 68
273
€27,211
Paul Lawrie
SCO
69 69 67 68
273
€27,211
Chris Wood
ENG
72 70 68 63
273
€27,211
15= David Horsey
ENG
67 70 71 66
274
€21,581
José María Olazábal
ESP
66 71 69 68
274
€21,581
Ricardo Santos
POR
71 65 73 65
274
€21,581
Zhang Lian-wei
CHN
66 66 69 73
274
€21,581
19= Paul Casey
ENG
70 71 67 67
275
€18,766
Simon Dyson
ENG
68 70 72 65
275
€18,766
James Morrison
ENG
70 67 70 68
275
€18,766
LONDON 40 MILES, ENGLAND
FOR SALE - An impeccable golfing venue with planning for HOTEL & LODGES
• • • •
Established 27 hole golf course and leisure business 12,000 sq ft existing clubhouse facilities Full Planning Permission granted for an 84 room hotel including 39 Woodland Holiday Lodges, Health Spa and Conference facilities Easy access to Heathrow, Gatwick and Central London FREEHOLD – 232 acres
All enquiries - Tom Marriott +44 (0) 790 067 2045 - tom@hmhgolf.com 34
HK Golfer・DEC 2012
HKGOLFER.COM
Joint Sole Agents - Jones Lang LaSalle - Jonathan Goldman - +44(0)207 399 5561