Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a 5-under 67 on Friday and will take the clubhouse lead into the weekend after the second round of The Senior Open was suspended due darkness at St Andrews.
Jimenez finished his first nine at The Old Course with two bogeys offset by two birdies to turn in even par. The 54-year old, though, heated up on the back nine, firing a 5-under par, highlighted by an eagle-birdie-birdie stretch on Nos. 14-16 to reach 9 under, alongside Canadian Stephen Ames, who finished 17 holes before play was suspended.
The legendary Seve Ballesteros won his second Open Championship at the Old Course in 1984, and Jimenez would love nothing more than to dedicate a senior title at St Andrews to the iconic Spaniard.
“I played very solid today – super golf. It was very difficult with very strong winds on the first nine holes, and then on the back nine I played solid,” said Jimenez.
“It would mean a lot to win The Senior Open, especially here at St Andrews, but some of the top players in the world are here.
“Seve was the first Spaniard to win The Open on this golf course, and it would be amazing if I could join the club with him.”
Defending champion Bernhard Langer was one back at 8-under par following a bogey-free 69.
“I had plenty of opportunities. I hit most of the greens in regulation and towards the end of the round we got a nice break,” said Langer.
“The last three or four holes the wind kind of dropped and it was a lot easier than it would have been earlier in the day.”
The 60-year old German sits T3 alongside Americans Jeff Sluman (68) and Kirk Triplett (71), who was the overnight co-leader.
Tom Watson continued to impress as the 68-year old American shot a 68 at the Old Course.
“I have been playing well and I attribute it to practicing quite hard before I came here,” said Watson, a three time Senior Open winner and five-time Open Champion.
“I shot 68 on the Old Course under pretty good conditions and I’m very pleased. Anytime I can shoot my age I’m very pleased.”
Watson was tied for sixth at 7-under par, alongside Vijay Singh of Fiji and Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin.
THE LEADERS
1. Miguel Angel Jimenez -9
1. Stephen Ames -9*
3. Bernhard Langer -8
3. Jeff Sluman -8
3. Kirk Triplett -8
6. Tom Watson -7
6. Vijay Singh -7
6. Jarmo Sandelin -7
VIDEO: SPANIARD BOMBER
54-year old Miguel Angel Jimenez crushes an effortless looking tee shot over 400 yards on the par-5 fifth hole at the Old Course at St Andrews.
QUOTABLE
“Seve was the first Spaniard to win The Open on this golf course, and it would be amazing if I could join the club with him.”
– Miguel Angel Jimenez
