Jimenez Takes Mitsubishi Electric Championship


Occasional Champions Tour player Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain fired a 6-under 66 on Sunday to win the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, the 2015 season opener on the over-50 circuit. The 54-hole, $1.18 million event took place at Hualalai Golf Course in Hawaii.

The 51-year-old from Milaga, who has 21 titles on the European Tour and won the Greater Gwinnett Championship last April in his first start on the over-50 American circuit, carded eight birdies and a double-bogey on the par-3 fifth hole to finish at 17-under 199, a stroke ahead of Mark O'Meara, who started with six birdies on the front nine before coming home with three more birdies and a bogey for an 8-under 64.

Three behind the pony-tailed Jimenez was Fred Couples, who posted a 66, while four back was 36-hole leader Rocco Mediate, who slipped down the leaderboard with a 70 after opening with a 66 and 67.

Jimenez made his move to the fore after breaking a tie with O'Meara with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole. "It was uphill against the grain and into the wind," he told reporters. "I knew I had to hit it hard."

Earlier at greenside, he told a TV reporter in broken English about his round, "I just had to make birdies - that's what you just have to do." The win was worth $309,000.

O'Meara, who started with a 69 and 67, made a great Sunday charge but came up just short. "People remember the winner, not second place," the 58-year-old said. "I'm disappointed, but Miguel played well when he had to."

Sharing fifth at 204 were Wes Short Jr. (66), Scotland's Colin Montgomerie (68), Olin Browne (69) and defending champion Bernhard Langer who, after a 72 on Friday that included a quintuple-bogey but rebounded with a 66 Saturday, finished with a 67.

The 40-player field featured major champions from the last five years, other tournament winners in the last two seasons and sponsor invitees.

The second stop on the 2015 Champions Tour is in two weeks. The players now work their way eastward to the other side of the U.S for the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/schedule.html.