Talking about the Omega European Masters is talking about Miguel Ángel Jiménez. One would not be understood without the other and vice versa. He is the ambassador of the tournament, as well as the main sponsor. He is simply the king of Crans. That’s why, every time the Swiss event comes around, Miguel is the protagonist.
This week he is going to play the 34th edition of the Swiss Open, the original name of the tournament, by invitation. He has been present at all of them consecutively since 1989, with the only exception of 2015. He won in 2010, has made the cut 25 times and has eleven top 10 finishes.
Jiménez leads an armada made up of thirteen players in the assault for the ninth Spanish victory in this tournament: Seve won three times (1977, 1978 and 1989), Manuel Piñero won twice (1976 and 1981) and Olazábal (1986), Sergio García (2005) and Jiménez (2010) achieved it once. Precisely, the Malaga native was the last of ours to win here. Interestingly, of the twelve remaining Spaniards present in Switzerland, only Nacho Elvira, Sebas García, Jorge Campillo and Alfredo García Heredia were born when Miguel first played in these Alpine lands.
However, speaking of absolute figures and records associated with Jiménez, there is one in which he continues to fight like a jabato, as shown this week. It is about the highest number of tournaments played in the DP World Tour. It seemed that he had lost the battle with David Howell, thanks to that strange category that was created a year ago so that the Englishman could fatten his record, however Howell this year has barely played two tournaments and Miguel remains on the prowl.
Specifically, Jiménez is going to play his 723rd tournament this week, while Howell has a total of 724. He has moved back to one. As Miguel has always liked to say in the tournaments he plays, there he is, breathing down the leaders’ necks. We don’t know how this virtual battle for this extraordinary record will end, but we are sure that Miguel will fight for it.
Howell no longer has a card, the same as Jiménez, but the Englishman can still play some tournaments as a former champion and the one from Churriana can only do so with invitations. The category of former tournament champion is closed to players under 50 years old. For this reason, Howell, who is still 49, could play the Alfred Dunhill Championship in a month, while Jiménez could not do so in the Open de España unless he receives an invitation. This year, by the way, the event at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid does not coincide with the PGA Tour Champions, so he has a gap in the schedule. It would be good to see him again in the Open de España.
Whatever happens, Jiménez will continue playing his tournaments because, in addition, he shows every time that he is absolutely competitive, despite being already 60 years old. Without going any further, he has made the cut in two of the last three DP World Tour tournaments he has played.
