Miguel Angel Jimenez usually plays well no matter where he is in the world. And when it comes to globe-trotters, few cross hemispheres more readily than the 51-year-old Spaniard, who earns money on the European, PGA and Champions tours.
And Jimenez claims he didn’t really play that poorly in the Masters on Thursday. Never mind that his card showed a 6-over-par 78.
Asked about a particularly tough stretch of holes he endured Thursday, Jimenez flashed a devious smile.
“I played them brilliantly, but the hole is moving,” he said in his thick Spanish accent. “If the hole is moving you can’t make it.”
Actually Jimenez was cruising along quite well early on. He birdied the ninth hole to make the turn at even-par 36. But then the wheels came on the back nine. He made bogey or worse on the first six holes, including a double on the par-5 13th.
“I went to the back nine and I start making bogeys and I couldn’t stop making bogeys,” said Jimenez, who finished fourth in the Masters last year. “Missed putt on 17, missed putt on 18. I missed the fairway just on the right on 11, missed the 13th. I just wasn’t very fine-tuned. You know, I didn’t allow myself to score. I didn’t show up today.”
Regardless of what happens in Augusta, Jimenez is hanging around. He’ll be playing at Sugarloaf Country Club in Duluth next week as defending champion of the Greater Gwinnett Championship.
“Atlanta is nice, nice,” he said. “I’m very happy to defend the title.”
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