Miguel Angel Jiménez has been ruled out of action for at least three months after a skiing accident during the festive season.
The 48 year old, who became the oldest winner in European Tour history when he won in Hong Kong last month, was skiing in the Sierra Nevada mountain region on Saturday December 29 when a fall caused his tibia – just below his right knee - to break.
The 19 time European Tour winner was quickly taken to the mountain medical centre for an x-ray before being transferred to a hospital in nearby Malaga, where he was operated on that evening.
“I was going down a hill and lost control briefly and when I fell it was very sore,” said Jiménez. “I knew immediately I had broken something. The medical staff at Sierra Nevada took me for an x-ray straight away and I am very thankful to them, as well as all of the staff at the hospital, for their quick and professional response.
“I was playing very well at the end of the season so it is obviously not a good time for me to get injured. When I took up skiing I knew the risks that I was taking but I love it so much I could not stop.
"It has not all been bad news for me to finish the year, however, and in just a few days I will be opening my new golf school near Torremolinos."
