Miguel Angel Jiménez wins Open de España

Miguel Angel Jiménez won the Open de España at PGA Catalunya, beating Richard Green of Australia and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters in a sudden-death playoff.

Miguel Angel Jiménez won the Open de España at PGA Catalunya, beating Richard Green of Australia and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters in a sudden-death playoff.

Making his 27th start in his home open, it was the first time Jiménez has taken the title. With the victory he extended his own record as the oldest ever winner on the European Tour.

Thomas Pieters carried a two-shot lead into the final round but he endured a terrible start with three straight bogeys from the second. Two-under-par for his first six holes, Jiménez moved two ahead.

But the Spaniard faltered with bogeys at the 9th and 10th and Richard Green went in front. The Australian looked to have blown his chance on the 14th where he ran up a triple bogey. But, when he birdied the 15th and both Jiménez and Pieters bogeyed the 17th, the trio were tied at the top. All three made pars at the last so a playoff ensued.

None of the protagonists hit the fairway from the 18th tee and none were able to find the green in two. Only the 50-year-old Spaniard managed to get up-and-down and the title was his.

"There's no words to describe what it means to me, you need to be into my skin but I'm not going to let you!" Jiménez said. "It's amazing. It's my 21st victory on The European Tour and 27 times I played the Spanish Open. I have been close a couple of times. Today it was very tough out there but I got it in the end.”

The victory takes Jiménez just outside the automatic qualifying spots for the European Ryder Cup team, but it has obviously greatly boosted his chances of becoming the oldest ever European to play in the event.

Open de España PGA Catalunya Resort, Girona, Spain May 15-18, purse €1,500,000, par 72

1    Miguel Angel Jiménez (Esp) 69 73    69    73    284    €250,000 T2    Richard Green (Aus)    74    69    69    72    284    €130,280 T2    Thomas Pieters (Bel)    69    69    71    75    284    €130,280 4    Joost Luiten (Ned)    70    69    74    72    285    €75,000 T5    Max Kieffer (Ger)        75    69    69    73    286    €58,050 T5    Richie Ramsay (Sco)    69    72    71    74    286    €58,050 T7    Felipe Aguilar (Chi)    74    70    69    74    287    €34,740 T7    Alejandro Canizares (Esp) 72    76    69    70    287    €34,740 T7    Darren Fichardt (RSA)    77    66    73    71    287    €34,740 T7    Gareth Maybin (NIR)    73    70    73    71    287    €34,740 T7    Chris Wood (Eng)        73    70    69    75    287    €34,740

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage