Mechanic bolts on win
May 25th 2008 23:27
Miguel Angel Jimenez, the pony-tailed, cigar-chugging, motorsport fan, delivered the goods for those who were following my tips this week.
Before this week's BMW Championship at Wentworth, I'd tipped Jimenez on top saying he was in good form and had an affinity with Wentworth.
At odds of 30-1 the man dubbed "the mechanic" for his love of cars, especially his Ferrari, proved me spot-on, making an ace on his way to winning a playoff against unlucky Englishman Oliver Wilson, who has now finished runner-up twice in his past five starts. He has four seconds this season and seven for his career!! He is long overdue for that maiden win.
Jimenez had plenty of chances to win. He duffed a chip on the 18th in regulation and then three-putted for par on the first playoff hole before making a two-putt birdie when they played the 18th for a second time whereas Wilson made par three times in a row at 18.
For those who are close followers of this blog, you'll know I was super-keen on Wilson at last week's Irish Open. He wasn't in contention there and I made the mistake of writing him off for this week, believing his good run of form had come to end.
But he was there all the way to the finish but couldn't find a piece of magic when he needed it.
Another guy I've been tipping regularly in recent weeks is Robert Karlsson but again he was close but no cigar (Big Mig got that!) after missing a simple three-foot putt which would have put him in the playoff.
In the PGA Tour event at Colonial I ummed and ahhed over Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson and in the end opted for Furyk. Bzzzzzzzzzzzz. Wrong!
What a result for Mickelson. If you didn't see it, make sure you catch the replay of his penultimate shot.
Tied at 13-under with playing partner Rod Pampling and Tim Clark. who was in the clubhouse, Mickelson repeated his under-pressure mistake from the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot, where he blocked his driver into the trees on the left.
But unlike at Winged Foot, where he tried to blast through the trees and only succeeded in rattling some timber, he gambled big-time and won: blasting a wedge high into the air with some vicious hook on.
So risky was his shot that none of the commentators picked the option he eventually took.
His ball skipped up to nine feet from the pin and Pampling, stunned senseless by Phil's audacity, mistimed his approach from the middle of the fairway and robbed himself of a chance to win.
Mickelson drained his putt and there were fist-pumps all around as American heartland's favourite golfer (who is looking quite trim these days) got the win.
My best result of the guys I eventually listed came from Pat Perez, who zoomed home for sixth place with a closing 65. He'll win one soon.
This week, the US Tour moves to the Jack Nicklaus-sponsored Memorial tournament which will be without Tiger Woods, who hasn't quite recovered from his knee srgery, meaning his US Open preparation is in dire straits as the Open is only a coupe of weeks away.
Tune back in later in the week for this week's tips.
Before this week's BMW Championship at Wentworth, I'd tipped Jimenez on top saying he was in good form and had an affinity with Wentworth.
At odds of 30-1 the man dubbed "the mechanic" for his love of cars, especially his Ferrari, proved me spot-on, making an ace on his way to winning a playoff against unlucky Englishman Oliver Wilson, who has now finished runner-up twice in his past five starts. He has four seconds this season and seven for his career!! He is long overdue for that maiden win.
Jimenez had plenty of chances to win. He duffed a chip on the 18th in regulation and then three-putted for par on the first playoff hole before making a two-putt birdie when they played the 18th for a second time whereas Wilson made par three times in a row at 18.
For those who are close followers of this blog, you'll know I was super-keen on Wilson at last week's Irish Open. He wasn't in contention there and I made the mistake of writing him off for this week, believing his good run of form had come to end.
But he was there all the way to the finish but couldn't find a piece of magic when he needed it.
Another guy I've been tipping regularly in recent weeks is Robert Karlsson but again he was close but no cigar (Big Mig got that!) after missing a simple three-foot putt which would have put him in the playoff.
In the PGA Tour event at Colonial I ummed and ahhed over Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson and in the end opted for Furyk. Bzzzzzzzzzzzz. Wrong!
What a result for Mickelson. If you didn't see it, make sure you catch the replay of his penultimate shot.
Tied at 13-under with playing partner Rod Pampling and Tim Clark. who was in the clubhouse, Mickelson repeated his under-pressure mistake from the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot, where he blocked his driver into the trees on the left.
But unlike at Winged Foot, where he tried to blast through the trees and only succeeded in rattling some timber, he gambled big-time and won: blasting a wedge high into the air with some vicious hook on.
So risky was his shot that none of the commentators picked the option he eventually took.
His ball skipped up to nine feet from the pin and Pampling, stunned senseless by Phil's audacity, mistimed his approach from the middle of the fairway and robbed himself of a chance to win.
Mickelson drained his putt and there were fist-pumps all around as American heartland's favourite golfer (who is looking quite trim these days) got the win.
My best result of the guys I eventually listed came from Pat Perez, who zoomed home for sixth place with a closing 65. He'll win one soon.
This week, the US Tour moves to the Jack Nicklaus-sponsored Memorial tournament which will be without Tiger Woods, who hasn't quite recovered from his knee srgery, meaning his US Open preparation is in dire straits as the Open is only a coupe of weeks away.
Tune back in later in the week for this week's tips.
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