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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIPMay 25, 2008Miguel Angel JimenezVIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND RODDY WILLIAMS: Congratulations, the 2008 BMW PGA Champion. You've now completed the BMW set. Tell us how it feels right now. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Well, it feels great. I win all three like you said and this one now, like I said before on the 18th green, this is my 20th season on the Tour and to win the most important tournament on The European Tour on my 20th anniversary, is great, fantastic. RODDY WILLIAMS: It was an incredibly exciting final day, starting of course with that hole-in-one early on. Talk us through that. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: That hole-in-one, of course puts yourself more in contention, you make up all of the ground but everything is coming, I think it's coming from the very first hole when I holed that putt, my five metres putt for par. Then I make a birdie from one metre on the third, and then just from there, I made a birdie on the fourth. Then the hole-in-one completed that line and it pushed me right there up the boards. RODDY WILLIAMS: And into the playoff. A lot of drama that there. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: And very tense too, because Oliver also played very good today, he also played 4-under par and he was very tense in his round. And I see him on 11, 12th holes like me and looks like it's going to be very tough for him. I make par to finish my 18th hole and then we go for the playoff and that is sometimes two sides of the coin. We make both -- I make five on the first one and then I make four on the second one. RODDY WILLIAMS: And you're a champion. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Champion. Q. You had lost your previous two playoffs, so how are you feeling going into this one? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Well, this is the third; it's coming, the one, you know. Yes, I lost a playoff in I think '94 with Robert Allenby and another one with Tiger in '99 in Valderrama and then now I have won, and now I cannot say that I don't win playoffs anymore. No, it's nice to win this tournament and I believe it's good for you guys because you have much more things to write and good for the sponsor, more time to show the BMW's and thing on TV and it's good for everyone, apart for us and we have to play more holes. Q. Last night when we spoke, you said that you would go into today feeling no different to any other day when you've gone into the final round with a chance of winning a tournament; did it feel just the same or did it feel different? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: I try to go and be myself like any tournament or any round. You know it's very important. You know what's going on there. You know it's going to be tough and that you need to be yourself and enjoy yourself is the only way that you can go up and keep in contention, because the rest of the guys also play very well, you know, and you cannot go out there thinking, what happens, what happens, you just go there and at the end of the day you know what's happened in the round. You have the intensity inside yourself and you know what's going on, because you can see the leaderboards and you can see everything. You just breathe and keep yourself like it's any other day out there, but with a little bit more pressure. It not the same in being in that situation than being in the middle of the qualification, you know. Q. At any point did it start to feel different? Did it start to feel more important? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: It's like I say before, you know, four shots is quite a big difference, but it's not something that you cannot make it, you know. I start with par and he started with bogey, and then I make birdie and he make another bogey, and then when I make the hole-in-one, everything is changing and everything happened very quick. Then after four or five holes, you know things can happen, everything is changed. But still it's the same thing. You need to keep calm and keep playing golf and be yourself on the golf course. You cannot change your strategy because there's no time. You just keep playing. Q. What happened with the little pitch from the side of the 18th in normal time? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: The ball was sitting a little bit too high. It was sitting not bad really, but you know, you've got one shot, just to put the ball between the front of the green, to pitch in between the front of the green and the flat, but then the club is going a little bit too low on the grass and the ball never leaves from the club and it flopped and never went forward as much as I wanted. Then I make my chip and put it like a foot. Q. Is there a reason you've played your best golf in your 40s? Is it a different mental outlook? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Well, mentally I'm very nice, you know, and I think maybe I come on the way back, I don't know. I'm 44 like you say, and 20 years an the Tour, you know, you just relax yourself and enjoy yourself and that's the most important thing. Maybe experience and hitting the ball good, and I'm hitting the ball nice at the moment, that's it. Q. And the putt on the 15th? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: That putt on the 15th, I hit my first putt, just read the line and hit a nice putt and I had one foot to finish and they said you are right on the line of Robert and I said you can move it or finish. So put it there and he finishes and then I feel just a little uncomfortable and just pulled it. That one is like a knife in the heart. It's not nice. Q. Do you think Nick Faldo will be pleased with your victory today? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: I believe so. I've been playing well all through the year and hitting the ball very well. Sometimes the result is not what you expect but then keep enjoying playing very well, and I hope I see that I am one that he would like to be on the team. Q. Your experience, how much do you think he'll draw on your experience if you do make the team? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Well, I think probably the karma, you know, and I can play with anyone and I'm very easy to team with any player. And also I'm calm and experienced and things, and you never know what's going to happen. If I am on the team, hopefully I'll be safe; and one thing I guarantee, I am going to give 120 per cent, whatever happens. Q. How important is it to you to make the team, and did you think perhaps missing the last one that you wouldn't get another chance? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Well, I missed the last one, yeah, but you know, now I'm very happy to be on the team and my game is in a good mood and I am in a good also, and that's what you need. Q. Have you had many dealings with Faldo, and do you get on with him well? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: I don't get bad with anyone. (Laughter). Q. But is he a particular friend of yours? Do you chat to him? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Well, we talk a little bit sometimes, but he's doing all of these things with the TV and he's going back and forth to the States here, like we do, and I saw him and he tells me the other day when we are here for the dinner, I say, "I hope I can make your team and be on your team in September." And he said, "Well, I hope so, too." That's nice. Q. Just a word about Oliver Wilson, that's now his 7th runner-up; do you think it will be long before he wins a tournament? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: He's a good player. Like you said, he's been on the top of the leaderboard for many times, and is one of these hot coming up. Many times, we say, "Tanto va el cántaro a la fuente, que al final se rompe," that's a Spanish expression. So many times that the ceramic, for it to hold the water -- it's a Spanish expression but you have to be Spanish to understand properly; that sometimes the ceramics to put the water inside and keep it fresh, so many times you go to the fountain that once it has to break. That's what happens to him; as many times you go there on the top, one of these times he will win. Well, I am fortunate that it's not this time. (Laughing). Q. Just wanted to check that Nick had not asked you to be an assistant captain; you've done it before. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: I don't know, I don't know if he's asking. I don't know what he thinbks. Probably he's asking to Ollie, and I think it's perfect. You have to be around the people that you feel good with them around. I believe he got the right pick, you know. Q. Winning the BMW PGA Championship today, do you regard this as the biggest win of your career so far? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Well, this is probably the biggest one. Like I said before, this is the main tournament for The European Tour -- well, The Open is The Open, but it's something different. This is the main tournament on The European Tour, this BMW PGA Championship, and it's probably the biggest one. It's very important now; see a 44-year-old guy here, right. Q. You've won three different BMW Championships or titles now. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Yes. I win three and I try to convince the owner BMW to make a special edition Miguel Angel Jiménez for me. Q. I was going to ask if you would buy a new Ferrari. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: We are talking about BMW, not Ferrari now. But anyway, I think when I get home, when we get home there is going to be the new X5 for my wife waiting there for us that we are expecting for a couple of months, it's coming there. RODDY WILLIAMS: Can we get your details, please? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: I have to say also one thing before you go. I have to say thank you to Thomas Björn for one thing, he's doing to me. This winter I had a robbery at home and they stole all my watches and things, and one of the watches is the Rolex that Rolex gave to us on the 2004 Ryder Cup. Thomas Björn came this week and presented to me, "Miguel, I know how you must perceive The Ryder Cup watch, and here is my watch for you." And thank you to Thomas, I think I had to say that for him. Q. He gave you his watch? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: He gave me his watch. Well, I said thank you to him. Q. From 2004? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: Yeah. Q. Did you not have one? MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: No, but this winter it was stolen at home, all of my other watches, they killed me this winter. I had one of those watches; they stole 60 watches at home, and one of those is that one, and it means a lot. It's the Ryder Cup and has the engraving on the back of the watch. The important thing is not the watch; the important thing is what it means, and the important thing is that Thomas is coming with the thing and give it to me, so thank you to Thomas Björn, that's it. RODDY WILLIAMS: Shall we get the details, please. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ: No. 3, driver, 8-iron, one metre. And hole No. 4, driver, 5-wood, very close to a metre by the hole. I chip-in and put the ball like 2 1/2 foot. 5th hole, 4-iron in the hole. It was 186 metres to the hole. 7th, 3-wood, 9-iron, that one is five metres, four or five metres. Bogey on the 8th. I hit a 5-iron, 6-iron and I make 3-putts from about seven metres. The first one, I hit the driver there, my goodness, and I passed the hole three metres. 12th, driver, 5-wood and it was eight metres. 15, I hit a driver, 5-wood and I make 3-putts missing one by a foot. That's it. RODDY WILLIAMS: Congratulations, thank you very much. End of FastScripts |
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