The Professional Golfers’ Association tour has a lot of young guns with beautiful swings and tapered physiques, but many of them are about as dry as the rules of the game.
Yes, there are some exceptions, like Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who has an engaging style, which includes a brogue and a swagger.
But there’s a guy on the European Tour — sometimes plays in the U.S. — whom you should know about, if you already don’t.
His name is Miguel Angel Jimenez — a 48-year-old Spaniard who has a style all his own.
Yesterday, Jimenez became the oldest winner on the European Tour when he shot a 5-under-par 65 to win the Hong Kong Open — the third time he has won the tournament, and his 19th career victory.
The Associated Press reported that Jimenez celebrated his success as he usually does — with a cigar and a glass of Rioja, a wine made from grapes grown primarily in the La Rioja area of Spain.
Jimenez celebrating his victory
He attributed his victory to the “olive oil in my joints,” drinking Rioja and his stretching routine. Yes, stretching. Not weight-lifting, not jogging, not doing push-ups, just stretching.
“That’s the main thing to do to keep the body to compete with the new guns,” he said.
Now, that’s a regimen I can identify with — stretching and smoking cigars. Actually, I take his fitness program to another level: I walk the dog…almost daily.
Jimenez likes his cigars so much that he has a cigar holder that keeps his cigars off the ground when he’s hitting golf balls on the range. Fittingly, it’s called a Hole-in-One Cigar Holder. (Personally, I don’t smoke cigars when I play golf. I have enough trouble keeping track of the ball and worrying about my next shot. And, of course, I don’t practice much, either.)
Here’s another thing about the easy-going Jimenez…He hit the most remarkable shot I’ve ever seen — live or on TV — in the 2010 British Open. At the 17th hole, he hit a lousy third shot and ended up in the rough, next to a rock wall that flanked the green. Without enough room to get his club behind the ball to hit it toward the hole, he turned and faced the wall and hit the ball against the wall. The ball caromed off the wall, flying high in the air in the opposite direction and coming down on the green.
Even as the ball was still in the air, Jimenez turned and started walking toward the green, casually watching the ball’s arc. After it landed and the crowd began to roar, he gave a nonchalant wave of acknowledgment, as if it was a shot he had practiced 100 times and fully expected the result.
Just like that shot, Jimenez is one of a kind. Today, I’ll smoke a cigar in his honor…but I’ll use a conventional ashtray.
I used to like to smoke a cigar best when playing golf…I quit though – 18 months ago – I have a holder that clips on the bag. It even has a little shelter for the weather. Fitz, grow a little pony tail…that 2010 shot was carnival stuff!
I forgot to mention the ponytail…Here’s the link to that shot..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCdMhAL4lgg
Yeah, Jimenez is a valium hoot; the patron saint for all of us who’ve aimed at golf carts, port-a-potties, walls, trees and marshals.
Gave up the stogies 9 years back when my oldest was born. Now my toughest rounds are played with a partner who’s always puffing on a fresh Honduran or DR. Fortunately he’s a 30 handicap, else he’d be insufferable.
My partners don’t smoke, either, Nick — another reason I refrain on the course, even on the rare occasions I’m playing well and feeling large.
Bob Sands, a student of my grandfather at the old Kansas City Junior College and a colleague of my father at The Star, is probably on the golf course at this very hour (8 a.m. going on 9) working on his game. He may well have something in his hand, but I can assure you it’s not a cigar. I pretty much lost all interest in golf the day my father had me caddy for him at one of the local courses back in the ’60s. It must’ve been 95 degrees that day and there was hardly a shade tree in sight (or so it seemed). And my pay? A lousy bottle of Coke at the 19th hole after 18 holes. I decided then and there this sport wasn’t for me. Speaking of local golf courses, it’s my understanding that while Jerry Heaster was still with us that he wrote a little book covering some of these venues. Are you familiar with it?
I guess you should have negotiated acceptable compensation before the round with your Dad, Rick. But, then, how could you have predicted he was going to give you the shaft?
What? I agree with your last column and you give up controversy and post an evergreen? No more agreement for you.
I’m still in shock from you agreeing with me, John. I wanted to get at least one innocuous column in before you came storming back at me.
OK, fair enough.
Great stuff Fitz!
:)
Thanks, Europa.
since we have no hockey my only fix of watching guys swinging sticks is golf and a guy with a ponytail who is cool to the crowd and has a air of swagger about him and smokes a good stogie at the same time could get a following..the walk on the course is well worth the time but the patience level of the game is more than our budget could handle, buying a new set of clubs after every round could do us in.
Just last week, I saw a couple of guys — pitiful players — smashing clubs into the ground and screaming in frustration at the top of their lungs. I used to do a little of that long ago, but, thank God, I learned patience and developed some composure…Also, I now root for my partners to hit every shot well and make every putt. The key is to keep it collegial, don’t bet and be grateful you can be out on the course feeling good.
I thought you didn’t smoke on the course because you got the cigar confused with your putter.
That’s my partner!
Jimenez is true Eurocrat. Doing things his way, enjoying life on his terms. We should all be so blessed. The Italians have a phrase that I take to heart, “il ben far niente”, meaning the joy of doing nothing. Of course when you live in Europe these days, doing nothing, for many, is their only option. To this day I am wedded to the Avo #5.
I’ll take America any day, of course (even if Mitt had won), but I think Jimenez does set a good example for working hard (there’s nothing easy about winning 19 golf tournaments) and approaching life with humor and zest.
(Nice choice on the Avo, Smartman; I used to smoke those but switched to the Ashton muduro a couple of years ago. Do you happen patronize Fidel’s in Westport?)
Grabbed a Sencillo Black Double Robusto there while on walkabout a couple of weeks back. It married well with my double espresso. Wonderful store.