Get the cigars out - Miguel is the king of the Old Course

First came Gullane, then Carnoustie, and finally the Old Course.
Miguel Angel Jimenez proudly clutches his Senior Open top prize. Picture by John Stewart,Miguel Angel Jimenez proudly clutches his Senior Open top prize. Picture by John Stewart,
Miguel Angel Jimenez proudly clutches his Senior Open top prize. Picture by John Stewart,

It's been a magnificent summer of golf in Scotland, and there was no better place to round it off than St Andrews on a Sunday.

The Senior Tour, presented by Rolex, stopped off for the first time at the Home of Golf but surely there won't be a long wait until it arrives again.

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While the ladies were rounding off the Scottish Open at Gullane, past and present greats of the game were teeing off their final 18 holes at St Andrews.

In golf names don't get much bigger than Tom Watson, Miguel Angel Jimenez or Bernhard Langer, and all three of them, plus so many more, enthralled the healthy crowds in the town across four days.

Langer may not have got across the line in an Open Championship, but he went into the senior event as clear favourite.

And rightly too, the German made the cut at Carnoustie and is still playing some of the best golf of his life.

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Jimenez is also still very much active on the main European Tour, so there was no chance of either of these feeling the pace come Sunday.

Along with American Kirk Triplett, the two of them started to pull clear of the pack on championship day.

Most of Jimenez's wins as a pro have come since turning 40 and the Spaniard is arguably still at his peak.

A birdie on 12 gave him a two shot lead on Langer and Triplett and one hand on the trophy.

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But he started to wobble with the finish line in sight, and a bogey on 15 gave a chink of light to Langer.

Triplett fell a further shot back but Langer stayed on his rival's coat tails - determined not to give up his title easily.

But Jimenez was too good on the day, and he closed out the win with three pars to score 69 saw and win the Major by one shot on -12.

Puffing on his trademark cigar after his winning putt on 18, he said: "I played some good golf and hit it very solid.

"This is the Home of Golf and is the place where everyone wants to win - it's where Seve won his second Open.

"It's amazing to win here and put my name in history."

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