Spain’s affable Miguel Angel Jimenez is only two rounds away from becoming the oldest-ever winner of the Open Championship.
Jimenez heads into the third round leading by one shot on three under par.
And while there is still 36 very difficult holes remaining if the 49-year old Jimenez were to win the 142nd Open he would be two years older than legendary Old Tom Morris when he captured the 1867 Open at age 46 years and 99 days.
Also Jimenex could break the record as the oldest-ever Major champion with American Julius Boros still holding that distinction since winning the US PGA Championship in 1968 aged 48.
Spain’s cigar-smoking Miguel Angel Jimenez takes a one shot lead into day three of 2013 Open Championship. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
The Malaga-born golfer also could become only the second Spaniard after the late great Seve Ballesteros (1979, 1984 & 1988) to be handed the famed Claret Jug.
Jimenez created European Tour history late last year in beoming the Tour’s oldest-ever champion when he captured the UBS Hong Kong Open.
The pony-tail haired Spaniard started the day on three under par after an opening round of 68 and he maintained his bid for a maiden Major with a fine level par 71 in which he matched par on no less than 14 holes.
He began with a birdie on the 364-yard par-4 2nd but gave the shot back two holes later when he missed the green on the 226-yard par-3 4th. He secured a further birdie on the 387-yard par-4 11th but then slipped back to level with a five on the 475-yard par-4 14th before playing the remaining holes in four straight pars.
“I feel relaxed and I tell you I love what I’m doing,” he said. “I play golf. I do this for a living and I’ve kept doing the same thing for 25 years.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow but I’m going to hit some balls now and have a nice cigar.
“So I don’t have any pressure. You have to do the same things that you do every day. You don’t need to change anything. Just don’t think about it.
“As soon as I leave the course I am going to see my girlfriend, and my sons, and we are going to have dinner, like I do every day.
“So I don’t need to do anything special.
“I’m leading, now I have to go to bed at 10 o’clock, bullshit (much laughter).
