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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 16, 2009

Miguel Angel Jimenez

TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND

MALCOLM BOOTH: We'll just quickly go through your card.
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Second one -- what did I hit on the 2nd? 5-wood, 7-iron and 4 metres putt.
6, I hit a 3-iron and another four metres putt.
7, driver, 3-iron and two-putt from about eight metres.
And the 9th I hit a driver, wedge and two and a half metres.
17, driver, 5-wood, and two putts from just two feet off the green. I missed like almost 18 metres.
18, 3-wood, 5-iron and just one foot and 20 metres putt.
MALCOLM BOOTH: We're joined by Miguel Angel Jimenez, who shot 64 today at 6-under par, is leading The Open Championship.
Miguel in your 17th Open, that's your best start, best first round. How do you feel about your day?
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Well, I feel very well. All day you don't know, since I woke up this morning you can see through the window and you look at the sea, it looked like a pond, so nice, so calm. And well, you can't ask a better day to play off. No windy, no nothing, and it took care of me.
MALCOLM BOOTH: And the perfect start from your point of view.
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: And then the way I played, the way I hit the ball on the golf course, very good from the tee to greens, you know, missed only one fairway by one metre on the 14th and two metres on the 18th, and I hit them very well from tee to greens. And also being nice today with the putter, that what you need to make a score, no?
MALCOLM BOOTH: Congratulations, well played.

Q. With your very last shot today you took the lead from Tom Watson.
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: What a legend.

Q. Do you have any sympathy for that legend? You've just ruined his night. (Laughter.)
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: No, no, he's going to be a legend forever. Tom Watson is one of the guys you still have to look at, keep looking for, guys like him. He's a legend here with us, and we have to feel very proud to play with him. And still playing at the level he plays.

Q. And just secondly, we were watching you earlier today, I never saw you smoking your famous cigars on the fairways, which you normally do. Were you doing that?
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: No, I think you are wrong. I never smoke on the tournament round. I smoke on the practise and pro-ams, but not in tournament round. I smoke as soon as I finish and before (laughter).

Q. How would you describe that round today? Is that your best first round in a major in terms of quality of performance?
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: I think probably, yeah. I don't remember even what I did yesterday. But I think if I remember right, this was the best start in a major, yeah.

Q. Do you like links golf as a rule? Do you like the challenges of links golf? It's totally different from what you play normally.
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: It is different than what we're used to playing, no? I like links courses, of course, because it's not only you get on the tee and bang, you put the ball in the air and it stops. You need to play, you need to have a game plan, no? You need to avoid the bunkers and keep it on the fairway. You see all the slopes around the greens to put the balls away. You need to play and you need to have passions and focus and all those things, you know.
And I like play links course, because you need to use your mind and lots of things. It's a pity that we play only a couple of times a year on links course.

Q. You are on the leaderboard with Tom Watson, who is second. Do you think on this kind of links course experience is important?
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Experience is always important in the majors, no? The tournament just started; we have a few more days. It's nice to see Tom Watson there. It's great to have a player with that charisma on the top of the leaderboard.

Q. You had to wait on the 9th?
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Three holes we had to wait.

Q. To wait a long time. And the three of you started looking at the sea together. What were you talking about, crabs?
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: No, we look at the sea and look at where we are, looks like we are not in Scotland. There's no waves, no nothing, just a smooth breeze. Normally there's some kind of wind here, breezy, no? It was nice just talking, nothing deep, just something.

Q. I'm sure Seve has inspired you all your career. Is he still inspiring you in what he's been through the last year?
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Of course, no? Seve's meant a lot for the Tour, for every people, for lots of people. He's the mentor of the Tour, and players like me or so many other players are also looking at him, no? And it's something that you're never going to forget.
And now he's -- see him the way he fights and the way he going forward is of course give you lots of motivation to do anything in life. The power is inside yourself, and the power is inside Seve. And I just want to say keep going and see you soon on the fairways, of course.

Q. In the last hole you received a big, big crowd with the public. Do you feel especially happy or a special something with the Scottish public, do you feel comfortable?
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: I like very much the Scottish public, the British people. They very well understanding this sport. And I really like them because they appreciate what we're doing there and they very well know about this sport. It feels like home.

Q. You mentioned that you smoke the cigar right up until you start and then stop. On a day when it's five hours like this, are you in a hurry to get finished so you can get back to business?
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: No, never get in a hurry to smoke a cigar. Never get in a hurry to make good things in life. Be careful what your mind is going through now.
MALCOLM BOOTH: Thank you very much for joining us.

End of FastScripts

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