Miguel Angel Jimenez played the par-5 18th hole to perfection and made a tap-in birdie to win the Hoag Classic on Sunday at Newport Beach (Calif.) Country Club.
The 61-year-old from Spain shared the overnight lead with Fred Couples and posted a bogey-free, 4-under-par 67 to get to 15-under 198. He beat Stewart Cink (65) and Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson (67) by one stroke.
After a two-year absence from the winner’s circle, Jimenez is the first two-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions this year, following his triumph at the Trophy Hassan II in February.
Jimenez also took over first place in the Charles Schwab Cup season-long standings.
“It’s been for a couple of years that I didn’t make the results,” Jimenez said on the Golf Channel broadcast. “Now I’m not hitting bad, I’m really hitting very well now, the ball, and having very good contact with the ball, and I feel good on the golf course.”
Jimenez was leading the tournament at 14 under after his third birdie of the day at the par-5 15th. Playing in the final threesome with Jimenez and Couples, Jacobson birdied No. 16 to get to 14 under as well.
Cink joined the party at 14 under with his seventh and final birdie of the day at No. 18, one group in front of Jimenez and Jacobson. But when it was his turn, Jimenez used two shots to reach the fairway just in front of the green, and Jacobson pulled his second shot far left into thick rough.
Jimenez proceeded to chip his third shot to about a foot from the cup. Jacobson got himself on the green, needing to make a lengthy birdie putt to get to 15 under and force a playoff, but he left it well short.
Jimenez said there was nothing to be nervous about as he played No. 18.
“Just keep your head down and have a nice contact,” he said.
South Korea’s Y.E. Yang shot a 66 to place fourth at 13 under. Michael Allen (68), Steven Alker of New Zealand (67) and Ernie Els of South Africa (67) tied for fifth at 12 under. Couples shot an even-par 71 and faded to a tie for eighth at 11 under with German Alex Cejka (67).
–Field Level Media
