Turespana
Masters Open Baleares
Santa Ponsa 1
Mallorca, Spain
7th - 10th May
1998Par
72 Prize Money £350,000 Final
Round Report Final
Round Scores
Third Round Report
Third
Round Scores
Second Round Report
Second
Round Scores
First Round Report
First
Round Scores Jimenez
wins Spanish battle over Martin Majorca,
Spain, 10th May - Miguel
Angel Jimenez won the battle of the suffering Spaniards on Sunday, beating an
angry Miguel Angel Martin by two shots in the Turespana Masters Open Baleares.
Both
needed treatment for kidney stone problems during the week but finished up duelling
for the £58,330 top prize. In fact, they swapped first place seven times in the
final round. But
when Jimenez, who had started two ahead of Martin and compatriot Santiago Luna,
birdied the 17th after being in trouble off the tee, the outcome was as good as
decided. Jimenez
closed with a level-par 72 for a nine-under total of 279 to collect his third
European Tour title. Martin,
warned for slow play, lost his chance when he bogeyed two of the last five holes.
He carded 72 also. The
leaderboard changed 10 times altogether. Ireland's Paul McGinley had joined the
Spanish duo at the front by the 13th but two late bogeys knocked him out of contention.
McGinley
had to settle for a share of third place on 282 with Katsuyoshi Tomori the second
top-10 finish for the Japanese in three weeks. Martin,
who controversially missed last year's Ryder Cup because of a wrist injury, claimed
the warning cost him his chance. "I'm
very mad at being given a timing warning," he said. "I was told at the
15th and I lost my concentration. Up to then I felt I could have won." Martin's
bogey on 16 was matched by Jimenez but any doubts about the destination of the
trophy were dispelled at the next when Jimenez hit a sand-iron approach to seven
feet despite driving among bushes. "It
was a difficult day because of the wind," said Jimenez, who followed up his
victories in the 1992 Belgian Open and 1994 Dutch Open. "At last I've won
again, and it was about time. "I'm
a very happy man because not only have I found my game again but I have found
out this week that my wife is six weeks pregnant as well!" | 
