Jiminez takes financial hit to stage event

EUROPEAN TOUR:MIGUEL ANGEL Jimenez admits staging the Andalucian Open this week will cost him money because of a struggle for sponsorship.

“It’s very easy to say ‘give up’, but I don’t want to give up. To me it’s important that this tournament is going forward,” said the Ryder Cup star, who is promoting the event for the sixth time.

“I think the Tour deserve that and the people deserve that. It’s very difficult, but I’m doing the best I can.”

At 51st in the world, the 48- year-old Spaniard is the highest-ranked player in the field at Aloha, following the withdrawal through illness of defending champion Paul Lawrie.

But he told European Tour Radio that out on the course: “My focus is all over the place. This is not easy and the most important thing is not my game.”

Last year in Malaga the tournament had the backing of Turkish Airlines, but this year it is local tourist boards and councils who have helped to keep the first prize at just under €140,000.

That is less than a quarter of what is on offer on the PGA Tour in Florida this week, but given the state of the Spanish economy it is no mean feat.

Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal is another late withdrawal because of a foot injury, but the event still has a former US Masters champion on view in Canadian Mike Weir.

Winner at Augusta in 2003, the left-hander reached world number three a few months later, but he currently ranks 1,206th after battling an elbow injury.

Weir made only two half-way cuts in 15 PGA Tour starts last year and has drawn a blank in his first three this season.

On his last trip to Spain in 2000, though, he won the American Express World Championship at Valderrama by two from Lee Westwood.

The two other major champions taking part have also seen their careers nosedive. European Tour regular Michael Campbell, the 2005 US Open winner, currently stands 772nd, while Rich Beem, who pushed Tiger Woods into second spot at the 2002 USPGA championship, is 865th.

However, England’s Robert Rock, conqueror of Woods in Abu Dhabi in January, tees off with his sights set on climbing from 56th in the world into the top 50 in time for next month’s Masters.

Six Irish players will compete: Michael Hoey, Shane Lowry, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Gareth Maybin and Simon Thornton.

ANDALUCIAN OPEN LOWDOWN

Course: Aloha Golf Club, Andalucia, Spain

Prize money: €1 million (€166,000 to winner)

Course record: 64 Lee Westwood (2007), Fred Andersson Hed (2007)

Course winner taking part: Thomas Levet.

Course overview: Javier Arana designed, undulating layout with sloping greens and tough tee shots. The driver is not always the right call.

Last year: Scotland's Paul Lawrie won for the first time in nine years at Parador de Malaga.

Television: Sky Sports (11am).