The third round of the Charles Schwab Championship, the grand finale of the PGA Tour Champions, has placed Miguel Ángel Jiménez in a really tough position to win the ranking. Things have turned very bleak for him. Not only has he lost significant ground on moving day at the Phoenix Country Club, but his closest rivals have excelled.
Jiménez, with a round of 70 strokes, has fallen to 13th place with a total of -9. It was a very inconsistent Saturday for the Spaniard. He made four birdies and one bogey on a day where low rounds were the norm. The problems started from the tee, where he only managed to hit five fairways. He was trailing all day.
His grey day was compounded by the outstanding performances of Steven Alker and Stewart Cink, his two main rivals for winning the Charles Schwab Cup. Both shot 65 and lead the leaderboard. Alker is first with -17 and Cink is second with -16. It’s a tall order for Jiménez. He needs a miracle round this Sunday in Arizona. First, he has to shoot very low and then hope for Alker and Cink to falter, which seems really difficult given the level of play they are showing.
Jiménez had arrived at this PGA Tour Champions Final with his chances intact of winning the Charles Schwab Cup. In fact, he depended on himself. If he won the tournament, he would take the big prize. Victory now seems impossible, being eight and seven strokes behind Alker and Cink and with two players ahead. It will take a majestic alignment of the planets on the final day.
It will be 18 holes all or nothing. Miguel has nothing to lose. He is assured a place among the top five in the ranking, but his main goal was to win the Schwab Cup at 61 years old. It’s not over until it’s over. That’s what Jiménez would say. And it’s the best way to face this final day of golf.
