Jimenez celebrates his victory. (Getty Images)
By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent, Bangkok
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It did not hurt anywhere near as much as the Open last year, but it still
pained Thomas Bjorn on Sunday as he let a dramatic Johnnie Walker Classic in Bangkok
slip from his grasp.
The 32-year-old Dane, leader after each of the first three rounds, was still
one in front with five holes to play, but then carved two drives into water on
par fives and took bogey sixes at each of them.
Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, 40 last month, was the grateful recipient,
recording a two-stroke victory worth £166,660 - his second win since Ryder Cup
qualifying started in September.
The other came in Majorca four months ago when Jose Maria Olazabal dropped
three shots in the last two holes and as he started his latest celebrations he
said: "You always feel sorry for the one behind."
Last July Bjorn led the Open at Sandwich by three with four to play, but
bogeyed the 15th, double-bogeyed the 16th by needing three attempts to get out
of a greenside bunker and bogeyed the 17th. He lost by one to unknown American
Ben Curtis.
A week later he lost a play-off in the Irish Open to Michael Campbell and
today said: "I am good at dealing with disappointments. I play golf to win and
in the last 16 months I've let quite a few slip through my hands.
"Fortunately I've had a win in there (the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan
in November), so I know I can do it."
Bjorn, involved in a bust-up with Colin Montgomerie on Friday, lost nearly a
stone in the heat and humidity during the week, but he certainly did not mind
losing to the 40-year-old from Malaga.
He described Jimenez's front-nine 31 as "magnificent - out of this world"
and added: "Come September, as tough as he is, he will be a good guy to have on
the team."
Jimenez, vice-captain to Seve Ballesteros in 1997, made his debut two years
later, lost his place in the last side, but now leads Europe's world points list
from which the first five automatic places for Oakland Hills will come.
Like last week's winner, Marcel Siem, he wears his hair in a ponytail - as, of
course, does Australian Open tennis champion Roger Federer.
Jimenez grew his hair and restored its natural gingery colour two years ago
"to be a little different" and a skin problem behind an ear meant there was a
health reason for keeping it long. He eventually had a benign growth removed.
"The Ryder Cup is a target, but my principal one is to play the best I can
every week," he added. "September is September and we are in February. You
have to concentrate round by round."
His brilliant front nine took him two clear, but two bogeys in the next three
enabled Bjorn to go ahead again when he pitched to three feet on the 13th.
But then came the splashes and when Jimenez made a 25-foot birdie putt on the
17th the gap was two again.
His closing par gave him a 68 and 17-under-par aggregate of 271, Bjorn having
to settle for a share of second with Indian Jyoti Randhawa, who had a
best-of-the-day 64.
Scotland's Simon Yates, based near the Thai capital and not even a member of
the European tour, was joint fourth in a group which also contained US PGA
champion Shaun Micheel.
"It was a nice week," said Yates, who decided to make Asia his home almost a
decade ago and has no plans to change that. He would like the chance to play
some more European events, however.
Defending champion Ernie Els finished with five successive birdies, but still
could do no better than joint 10th - Ian Poulter was on the same mark - while
Nick Faldo and Montgomerie, both round in 69, shared 13th.
Faldo, second after his opening 65, said after his first event of the year:
"I'm really pleased. I played really well, had a good mental focus and learnt
some things about my swing."
The 46-year-old moves on to Royal Melbourne for the Heineken Classic - he was
second to Els there last year - while Montgomerie's next outing is the Malaysian
Open on February 19-22.
"It could be even hotter there, couldn't it?" he said, not relishing the
prospect of that at all whatever the weather at home.
Collated final round scores and totals (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72):
271 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 70 66 67 68
273 Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 69 70 70 64, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 64 68 70 71
274 Simon Yates 68 68 68 70, Shaun Micheel (USA) 70 70 67 67, Boonchu Ruangkit
(Tha) 71 68 70 65, David Smail (USA) 67 69 69 69, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 71 68
67 68, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 67 72 67 68, 275 Scott Gardiner (Aus) 66 71 69 69,
Ian Poulter 66 72 67 70, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 67 69 69
276 Colin Montgomerie 73 67 67 69, Richard Green (Aus) 73 64 67 72, Nick Faldo
65 70 72 69, Anders Hansen (Den) 67 70 72 67, Miles Tunnicliff 69 70 68 69
277 Marcus Fraser (Aus) 67 73 66 71, Barry Lane 70 70 67 70, David Park 69 72
67 69, Euan Walters (Aus) 72 68 68 69
278 Yong-eun Yang (Kor) 70 70 66 72, Unho Park (Aus) 69 71 68 70, Scott
Laycock (Aus) 70 68 70 70
279 Lian-Wei Zhang (Prc) 68 71 70 70, David Howell 70 71 70 68, Brian Davis 71
71 66 71, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 70 69 71 69, Brad Kennedy (Aus) 70 70 70
69, Anthony Kang (USA) 71 69 71 68, David Lynn 68 66 71 74
280 Gary Rusnak (USA) 71 67 73 69, John Bickerton 70 70 73 67, Philip Golding
71 69 73 67
281 Stephen Dodd 69 70 71 71, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 69 68 71 73, Soren Kjeldsen
(Den) 68 69 72 72, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 69 69 72 71, Adam Scott (Aus) 70 69 67
75
282 Michael Long (Nzl) 70 68 71 73, Justin Rose 72 68 71 71, Mardan Mamat
(Sgp) 70 70 70 72, Craig Carmichael (Aus) 76 64 71 71, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 70
70 72 70
283 Graeme McDowell 71 68 71 73, Wen-Tang Lin (Tpe) 70 70 71 72, Mike Cunning
(USA) 68 70 73 72, Jarrod Moseley (Aus) 66 71 74 72, Christian Cevaer (Fra) 70
67 75 71, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 73 68 71 71, Lee Westwood 72 70 72 69, Andrew
Coltart 72 70 72 69
284 James Kingston (Rsa) 71 69 72 72, Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 70 72 74 68,
Gary Murphy 73 67 70 74, Chris Downes (Aus) 74 67 73 70, Harmeet Kahlon (Ind) 71
71 71 71, Ben Curtis (USA) 68 73 73 70
285 Peter Lawrie 73 65 74 73, David Bransdon (Aus) 69 71 74 71
286 Kenneth Ferrie 70 71 72 73, Jason Knutzon (USA) 70 72 74 70, Thavorn
Wiratchant (Tha) 68 74 74 70, Prom Meesawat (Tha) 68 72 74 72
287 Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 71 71 71 74, Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 71 71 70 75,
Edward Loar (USA) 66 76 70 75
288 Andrew Pitts (USA) 72 67 74 75, Simon Dyson 71 66 75 76, Peter Fowler
(Aus) 74 68 71 75
289 Terry Price (Aus) 70 71 74 74, Ted Oh (Kor) 70 70 77 72
290 Andrew Bonhomme (Aus) 71 71 72 76
291 Fredrik Andersson (SWe) 69 70 76 76, Amandeep Johl (InD) 75 67 73 76,
Jamie Donaldson 72 69 74 76
296 Matthew Ecob (Aus) 72 69 77 78
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