Jimenez Triumphant in Champions Tour Debut


Miguel Angel Jimenez made it look easy in his first-ever start on the Champions Tour. Coming off a fourth-place finish in last week's Masters, the dashing, pony-tailed Spaniard shot rounds of 65, 70 and 67 to win the $1.8 million Greater Gwinnett Championship in Duluth, Ga.

Jimenez, who turned 50 in January, carded five birdies in the final round to finish at 14-under 202 for the wire-to-wire victory. On the week at TPC Sugarloaf, he had only three dropped shots, earning $270,000 with the title.

The win, according to Jimenez, "means a lot. I played very well." As for what tour he'll be playing in the future, the 20-time European Tour winner said during a brief TV interview, "I don't know what to do . . . whether to play on the Champions Tour."

Jimenez is well on his way to qualifying for the 2014 European Ryder Cup team. He's currently ninth in the points' standings for qualifying for the biennial team competition, which will takes place in September at Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.

Jimenez is the 18th player to win in his first Champions Tour start. He's also the third to enjoy a wire-to-wire victory in his debut on the over-50 circuit, with Bruce Fleisher in 1999 the last player to do that.

Defending champion Bernhard Langer carded his third straight 4-under 68 to end up in solo second at 12-under 204, while another stroke back was 16-time Champions Tour winner Jay Haas (67). Fred Couples closed with a 70 to end up in fourth at 207.

Steve Pate (70), David Frost (69) and Duffy Waldorf (70) shared fifth at 209, and tied for eighth at 210 were Willie Wood (66), Colin Montgomerie (68), Kenny Perry (71) and Chien Soon Lu (71).

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/greater-gwinnett-championship/leaderboard.html.