Jimenez favourite at Open de Espana
IN: News | European PGA | Open de Espana (2007) | by Bruce Young | 25 Apr 2007
The European Tour is, with the exception of majors and WGC events, back in Europe for the rest of season 2007 and the first port of call will be Madrid for this week’s Spanish Open.
The Centro Nacional de Golf plays host to the event for the first time with the Royal Spanish Golf Federation relocating their headquarters there last year.
The tournament has a great place not only in Spanish golf but in European golf in fact it was first played in 1912 and became part of the European Tour for the first time in 1972 when Antonio Garrido won the event. Garrido’s son, Ignacio, is playing this week.
Since 1972, Spaniards have won the event on only four occasions with Seve Ballesteros claiming the title in 1981, 1985 and 1995, while in 2002 Sergio Garcia secured his national title. Seve’s win in 1995 was his last win on any tour.
Miguel Angel Jimenez could well improve that rather ordinary record the have in their own national open when he tees it up as arguably the favourite in the event. Jimenez comes off some mixed results in recent weeks but there has been enough good form to suggest he might do well.
Niclas Fasth is the leading world ranked player in the field and recent good finishes at the WGC-CA event at Doral and in Dubai indicate that this event is well within his reach.
South Africa’s Charles Scwhwartzel has had three top tens in his last four starts at various venues and as one of the rising stars of the game he is a good chance to do well. At his last start three weeks ago he finished third in Portugal.
Another young player with big wraps is a genuine Spanish chance namely Alejandro Canizares whose father Jose Maria was partly responsible for the emergence of so many Spanish stars since the 1970’s. Canizares (Alejandro) won at his third start as a professional last year when he secured the Russian Open title. He was 11th at his last start in Portugal but prior to that had performed well in two USPGA Tour events.
Graeme McDowell appears to be approaching his best form with very good finishes in his last two starts in China including when runner up at the China Open.
Bradley Dredge often plays well in southern Europe and after a very impressive first three days at the Masters before a last round 83 he could have recovered sufficiently to do well this week.
The Australian contingent is headed by Wade Ormsby with Terry Pilkadaris, Marcus Fraser, David Bransdon, Andrew Tampion, Terry Price, Mathew Zions and Steve Alker all in the field at this stage.
The tournament has prizemoney of âǬ2 million.
