Olly folly hands Turespana title to Jimenez

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ won the rain-shortened Turespana Majorca Classic after an amazing late collapse by Jose Maria Olazabal.

Ireland’s Damien McGrane could not match his opening round 64, eventually finishing five shots off the pace with second and third rounds of 71 and 74.

Olazabal led by two shots with two holes to play but drove out of bounds to double-bogey the 17th and then bogeyed the last as well to hand his fellow Spaniard the title.

Jimenez had set the clubhouse target with a six-under-par total of 204 after a superb closing 65, but was so confident Olazabal would win he had changed clothes ready for the prize-giving ceremony.

News then filtered through of Olazabal’s mishap and Jimenez changed back into his golfing gear to watch the tense finale from the driving range.

Olazabal found the green on the 203-yard par three 18th but on the bottom tier and had to chip rather than putt, uncharacteristically playing a poor shot 10ft past the hole and then missing the par putt which would have forced a play-off.

The double US Masters champion then did well to hole from five feet just to cling on to second on five under par, with England’s Jamie Spence and Gary Emerson sharing third a shot further back.

“Just imagine how I feel right now,” said a distraught Olazabal, whose last European Tour win came almost two years ago in Hong Kong.

“The tournament was mine when I was standing on the 17th tee but I just didn’t know how to catch it. I wanted to fade my tee shot on 17 but over-cut it and it went out of bounds.

“Then 18 was very difficult. I hit a three-iron, pin-high but to the right and when I got to the ball I couldn’t putt it so I had to play a chip up and missed the putt coming back.”

Ironically, Jimenez had earlier bogeyed the 17th and thought with it his chances of a seventh tour title and fourth in Spain had disappeared.

“I thought that bogey on the 17th may have cost me the tournament,” said the 39-year-old from Malaga. “It was a pity for Jose Maria. He played very well all week and I wasn’t expecting it.

“I had good feelings all day. I didn’t feel that good at the beginning of the week but yesterday on the driving range and putting green I felt good.

“I said to may caddie I thought seven or eight under will win this tournament so let’s see if I can make a few birdies and put some pressure on the leaders.”

Jimenez finished second in the German Masters last month and ninth in the Dutch Open and moves into second place on the Ryder Cup points list behind Lee Westwood.