Jimenez eyes Portugese Prize

Miguel Angel Jiménez, who captured his third title of a spectacular 2010 season in last weekend’s Omega European Masters, will aim to add the Portugal Masters to that impressive haul at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on the Algarve next month. Jiménez, who climbed to eighth in The Race to Dubai with his three stroke victory in Switzerland, has confirmed that he will join a star-studded cast in the €3 million tournament from October 14-17. The new World Number 27 is seeking his first Portugal Masters crown, having played in all three previous editions from 2007. Jiménez played in all four rounds each time but is relishing the chance to contend for the title and €500,000 first prize this time around. Jiménez, an automatic qualifier for Europe’s Ryder Cup Team to face the United States at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales next month said: “The Portugal Masters is a great tournament. Coming from Spain, I appreciate the warm weather and the wonderful facilities at Oceanico Victoria Golf Course with the new Tivoli Victoria Hotel so close by.. “The Spanish and Portuguese are like brothers because we are next door neighbours and we appreciate the good things in life like the nice food and fine wine which we get on the Algarve.” Jiménez has racked up 11 of his 18 European Tour titles since he turned 40 in January 2004 and the cigar-smoking man from Malaga added with a laugh: “Maybe I am also like a good wine – I am getting better with age!” A third Ryder Cup appearance awaits the popular Spaniard, and he said: “I think everything is shaping up really well for Celtic Manor. Our Team members have won five times in the last month so I am looking forward to going to Portugal with The Ryder Cup back in Europe.”