Shanghai surprise delights Jimenez

Asian Open: Miguel Angel Jimenez enjoyed a "surprise" triumph in the Asian Open in Shanghai after making light work of Simon Dyson's six-shot overnight lead.

Jimenez shot a five-under-par 67 at the Tomson Golf Club yesterday to finish at 14 under par, three shots ahead of 26-year-old Yorkshire man Dyson, whose form deserted him after sparkling rounds of 66, 69 and 66.

Four birdies in the opening 10 holes allowed the Spanish Ryder Cup star to accelerate past Dyson - who endured a torrid time to card a 76 - and complete the biggest final-round comeback of the year.

A chip-in eagle at the par-five 13th and a birdie at the last consolidated Jimenez's advantage to make bogeys at the fourth and 17th irrelevant.

Paul McGinley, well placed after three rounds, never challenged the leaders, finishing tied for fifth on eight under with Lien-Wei Zhang of China and Australian Adam Groom after a mixed round featuring four birdies and three bogeys in a one-under-par 71 for a 280 total.

Padraig Harrington closed with a 74 to be well down the field on 291.

Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng briefly held the lead after picking up five shots in 11 holes but four bogeys in five holes on the way in saw him finish on 10 under in third.

Jimenez admitted it had come as a shock to add to his two victories of earlier in the season, the Algarve Open and the Johnnie Walker Classic.

He said: "I played very well from the middle of last season and I have surprised myself with three victories now.

"The game is very difficult to win. To win one is difficult and to win three is very nice. I surprised myself.

"I played really well today and played well over the week. I enjoyed myself today. I said to myself this morning I needed to be aggressive and started birdie, birdie and then made bogey on the fourth from the edge of the green.

"When I saw the leaderboard on nine, I was two under par and the leaders were also dropping shots. I knew I had a chance as I was only three back.

"The eagle on 13 helped a lot. I had 30 metres to the hole. When I hit it, I saw it had a chance to go into the hole. And then it bounced on the green and disappeared. That was very, very good.

"Today, I was aggressive and got the results. I made the birdies and things went my way."

Jimenez revealed he was now looking forward to playing his part in Europe's challenge for the Ryder Cup in Detroit in September: "I don't have to worry now about qualifying for the Ryder Cup. I hope I will be able to support the European team."

Dyson was philosophical after five bogeys scuppered his chances of a first European Tour victory. "Everything went against me. I didn't drive the ball very well, every bounce was going against me and putts were lipping out when yesterday they were going in.

"But never mind, still second. Coming into the week, I would have taken second even though I know I was six ahead. "Second is my best finish ever on the European Tour and it has got me a lot closer to getting my European card."

But he admitted he immediately felt the pressure of the chasing pack after dropping a shot at the par-four first. He added: "The nerves weren't that bad. but I got shook straight away with a bogey on first and Prayad then goes birdie, birdie and he holed a bunker shot on three.

"And straight away I'm down to three shots. I then bogey the fifth and I'm down to two and it then changed on nine when I missed a short one. It was then a case of trying to get a few pars.

"But when I saw Miguel was 14 under when I came to the 16th hole, I knew it was over."