Miguel Angel Jimenez Celebrates 707th With Flawless 64

Cigar-smoking, wine-sipping, Ferrari-driving Miguel Angel Jimenez is the bon-vivant of the European Tour.  Now he’s its all-time ironman.

Jimenez made his 707th start on the tour, breaking Sam Torrance’s mark of 706 appearances.  But it was no ordinary start Thursday at the Hero Open for the man they call “The Mechanic.”

Jimenez shot a flawless, bogey-free eight-under par 64 that left him just two shots off the lead of fellow Spaniard Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez, who shot a career-best 62, 10-under par at the Forest of Arden course at the Marriott Hotel resort outside Birmingham.

Palbo Larazabal made it a trio of Spanish golfers at the top of the scoreboard.  He tied Jimenez with a 64 of  his own.

Jimenez showed his usual enthusiasm after his round.

“It’s been a wonderful day, eight under par. A beautiful summer day, and especially on the 18th green with all my colleagues. I felt very emotional.

“I enjoy everything about my life here. It’s not the first time I’ve said it, this is a way of living. Golf is my life, you never remember any bad moments. You can understand that you’re not going to be in a perfect mood and not make a perfect score every time. You can have a bad game, but not a bad day, that’s the difference.”

Hero Open Scoreboard:

Gabby Lopez First LPGA Player To Test Positive For COVID-19:

Gabby Lopez will have to wait to return to the LPGA Tour.  On Monday, she tested positive on-site for the COVID-19.

She has withdrawn from the Drive-On Championship and is in self-isolation. Tour and health officials are working with her on contact tracing.

A second LPGA player tested positive but found out when she was tested at home.  Marina Alex tested positive for COVID-19 in the LPGA’s pre-travel phase of testing last week, before departure for the Drive On Championship,.

Alex has withdrawn from this week’s event despite her report that she has tested negative three times since that initial positive test.