KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 24, 2022

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Press Conference

Harbor Shores

JOHN DEVER: Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship here in Benton Harbor, Michigan. We're at Harbor Shores. We are very pleased to be joined by Miguel Angel Jiménez. You've had a great year so far. Congratulations, a couple wins early in the year, and a really good finish two weeks ago at the Regions. You're coming in in proper form, aren't you, this year.

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Yeah, well, as you said, I had a couple, two weeks there and a few top 10s following that. Played very well, very solid, and that's the base what happened this year, played very solid from these sort of -- and then it's there, I feel good, play good, play great, and keep moving.

Q. You're back here, I believe, for the second time --

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Second time. 2018 or 2019?

Q. It was 2018 and you finished in the top 5, so you have a nice feel about this golf course. What do you remember?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: I remember some shots and situations there, and it was a very nice golf course. You have a lot of fun there. You have to be very creative. I remember the greens, they are fast and slopey greens. You have to keep it below the hole. Being there on the last one I think with Paul Broadhurst, the one who win here, I remember he holed all four holes I played. We were playing the last round together.

But yes, 2018 is the first time I played here, and this is my second time, and well, I didn't know. I just arrived last night and I'm going to see what's the goal for this afternoon in the pro-am.

Q. At 58 you always have yourself in contention. What do you think is the biggest secret to being so consistent?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Because I do things that other people don't do.

Q. Such as?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: No, the basic thing is of course you need to keep trusting yourself, and I didn't have -- I smoke, I like to have my wine; just enjoy your life. Like golf, my wine, olive oil, but of course you need to work, you need to stretch and you need to exercise every day to keep yourself update and to keep in physical conditions in the right way. And enjoy yourself; that is the main thing. That is one of the secrets.

The other thing is I love what I do in my life, and I don't know what to do but this one. Then enjoy what you have. Simple. That's probably one of the main secrets. I love golf, and the golf is a good life. It's a good living. That to me, probably that is my secret.

Q. It's sweater weather today and it might be into the first round, but by the weekend it's going to be in the 80s. Where is the good temperature for Miguel? Where do you feel most comfortable? Warmer I would imagine?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: The hotter, the better. I love the heat. I love to play in the heat. You need to be hydrating yourself, do some electrolytes in the water, but give me the hot, the heat, and not -- I live in the Dominican Republic. I play every day in shorts. We are all day in the house I am in the tirantes shirt and things, it's perfect. Put a tee shirt, go to play golf, coming in, tirantes, it's heaven. To me the heat is nice to play golf.

Q. This is a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course; what have you experienced playing Jack Nicklaus courses through the years? Have you enjoyed playing them --

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Well, you know, you have some sideways greens, a lot of movement on the greens there, very well protected the greens. It's nice. It's nice. I played one of the golf courses I played from Nicklaus is there in Dominican, Punta Espada. I believe they play two or three times there, the Champions. I think two years ago. And then there's a great golf course I play once a week there when I'm in Dominican. Of course he's a great golfer, great designer, and we will enjoy this golf course this week, yeah, for sure.

Characteristics, like you say, you have all these greens a little bit sideways and you have to play with the ball, especially left to right on the holes, and the difficulty of the greens is where he makes all the emphasis always.

Q. You talked about keeping the ball below the hole here; do you see the greens as the biggest challenge of the golf course?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: I didn't play yet. I played last time, but I remember they have some situations on the greens here a few years ago, yeah, but I need to go to the golf course to refresh everything, no? But I remember they were fast, and I remember you need to be below the hole, yeah.

Q. I'm sure you consider yourself -- you've got to think to yourself, I'm the favorite here coming into this week. But who are some of the golfers coming in this week that you've got to keep an eye on?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Well, I think it's the same guys that you see every weeks. Every weeks the same names up there, Alker, Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, Stricker, myself, Langer. You have the same names every weeks, and this week is not going to be different. I think it's going to be more or less the same.

Q. How about Padraig Harrington is another one?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: He's a new guy. The name is forget. But everyone who is new or younger than the old boys, those are the guys who always have the best opportunity to finish here, always. Obviously Padraig Harrington and Furyk and all these new generations on the Champions.

Q. We touched a little on the weather and it is cooler today with the rain tomorrow; does that impact the way you play or prep for a tournament? What kind of goes into the changes in the weather since it's not --

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: No, you get windy, and you say a little bit you have to play the ball low and come through the ball on the wind, and it's raining. But you have to be prepared for that, play it out.

But the thing is golf sometimes is not fair on the way that sometimes it's raining in the morning or not in the afternoon or vice versa, windy or strong wind in the morning and vice versa in the afternoon. Sometimes it's not fair. If it's raining, I like the rain all day, for all. If it's windy, I like same windy for all. And then we are in the same conditions.

But sometimes it happens that -- I don't mind. I really don't mind to play in the conditions as far as the same for everyone. You give me more windy, much better for me. I love it.

But what I prefer: Heat.

JOHN DEVER: Thank you for being with us, sir. Appreciate the visit and best of luck all week long.

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Thank you very much. I hope we have a nice week and a nice tournament.