Miguel Angel Jiménez edged out his Spanish compatriot Miguel Angel Martin to win the Turespaña Masters Open Baleares by two shots and claim his third European Tour victory.
Europe’s Ryder Cup vice-captain hit a final round of 72 at Santa Ponsa I in Mallorca for a nine-under par total of 279 to clinch the £58,330 first prize, taking his career earnings past the £2 million mark.
The title looked to be slipping away from Jiménez when he was forced to take a penalty drop after his ball bounced into an unplayable lie in a bush on the 16th. But he recovered well to only drop one shot and then hit straight back with a birdie on the 17th, pitching to six feet from the rough, to give himself a two-shot cushion playing the last.
On winning his first title since the 1994 Dutch Open, Jiménez said: "It’s been a magic win, surrounded by many things. This week we found out that my wife, Montse, is expecting our second child - it’s been a special week.
"I did not think I was going to win until after the 17th. After the bogey at the 16th I knew anything could happen. I knew I had to keep concentrating and position the ball well off the tee on the 17th and then I had the 18th which is a difficult hole.
"I have not won since July 1994 - it has taken a long time to win again. Although I have not been playing brilliantly over the last few years on the Tour my worst position on the Volvo Ranking has been 37th and I don’t think that is too bad at all."
The contest had ebbed and flowed throughout the day as the lead changed hands ten times. Martin looked the likely winner after eagling the 492-yard sixth with a drive and a three-iron to seven feet to take his score to nine under par but a two-over-par back nine cost him the lead.
Ireland’s Paul McGinley found himself tied for the lead with five holes to play after moving to eight under par with a birdie on the long 13th. Having taken advantage of a free drop from a road, McGinley holed from 30 feet for his fifth birdie of the round, but two dropped shots in the last four holes for the second successive day left him joint third with Japan’s Katsuyoshi Tomori.
Europe's Ryder Cup vice-captain hit a final round of 72 at Santa Ponsa I in Mallorca for a nine-under par total of 279 to clinch the £58,330 first prize, taking his career earnings past the £2 million mark.
The title looked to be slipping away from Jiménez when he was forced to take a penalty drop after his ball bounced into an unplayable lie in a bush on the 16th but he recovered well to only drop one shot and then hit straight back with a birdie on the 17th, pitching to six feet from the rough, to give himself a two-shot cushion playing the last.
One winning his first title since the 1994 Dutch Open, Jiménez said: "It's been a magic win, surrounded by many things. This week we found out that my wife, Montse, is expecting our second child - it's been a special week.
"I did not think I was going to win until the after the 17th. After the bogey at the 16th I knew anything could happen. I knew I had to keep concentrating and position the ball well off the tee on the 17th and then I had the 18th which is a difficult hole.
"I have not won since July 1994 - it has taken a long time to win again. Although I have not been playing brilliantly over the last few years on the Tour my worst position on the Volvo Ranking has been 37th and I don't think that is too bad at all."
The contest had ebbed and flowed throughout the day as the lead changed hands ten times. Martin looked the likely winner after eagling the 492-yard sixth with a drive and a three-iron to seven feet and take his score to nine under par but a two-over-par back nine cost him the lead.
Martin said: "I played well, especially over the last nine. I played the wrong club twice and it cost me a lot."
Ireland's Paul McGinley found himself tied for the lead with five holes to play after moving to eight under par after a birdie on the long 13th. Having taken advantage of a free drop from a road, McGinley holed from 30 feet for his fifth birdie of the round, but two dropped shots in the last four holes for the second successive day left him joint third with Japan's Katsuyoshi Tomori.
McGinley said: "I finished the course badly like I did all week. I have not played the last six holes well and they proved costly."
