Jimenez pays price for staying in Spain

Miguel Angel Jimenez admits that staging the Andalucian Open this week will cost him money because of a struggle for sponsorship.

“It’s very easy to say ‘Give up’, but I don’t want to give up, to me it’s important that this tournament is going forward,” said the Ryder Cup star, who is promoting the event for the sixth time. “I think the Tour deserve that and the people deserve that. It’s very difficult, but I’m doing the best I can.”

At 51st in the world, the 48-year-old Spaniard is the highest ranked player in the field at Aloha, following the withdrawal through illness of defending champion Paul Lawrie.