Miguel Ángel Jiménez needs no introduction. His ponytail, a Montecristo cigar in his mouth and a charisma that has travelled the world precedes this genius from Malaga. In his own way, he is the last artist of the previous century, with a unique way of understanding golf and life. Miguel Ángel Jiménez leaves no one indifferent; for many he is the most interesting golfer in the world. For us, moreover, he was the first professional player we interviewed.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Golf Circus we have returned to the Miguel Ángel Jiménez Golf Academy where he granted us this interview.
You turned pro in 1982 and have played with the golfing greats, but who was the player who inspired you the most?
Undoubtedly Severiano Ballesteros
You have had some great moments in your career; which one has made most of a mark on you and the one you most fondly remember?
Each of the years I have been playing has been unique for me. I have lived for the moment and the day. The victories, 21 on the European Tour, 10 on the Champions Tour, or the beginnings, when we used to drive from here to there all over Spain to play.
What is golf for you?
Golf has given me everything and I have given everything to golf. Competing is my life and it is what fulfils me
The Miguel Ángel Jiménez Golf Academy is one of your dream projects and it finally came to fruition in 2013. How do you sum up how it has gone since it opened?
Very positively, especially when you see the progress made by those who have been through the school. We have about 80 youngsters of different levels, ages and handicaps. The school is important not just for the children but also for many other people who get to play at reasonable prices.
The Junior Academy is one of the key parts. What is it like working with the children?
It’s fantastic. They are the future and I have always felt there was an opportunity there to contribute something. On the one hand, with the junior school and on the other, with the tour across Spain, where we hold a competition in each region and a two-day grand final where prizes are given out and I run a clinic for the youngsters. They are the ones who will lead tomorrow’s society. Some will be sportsmen and women, but others will not, and life will lead them to become future lawyers, politicians, etc., and that is why having a sporting base is so important.
Another of your areas of interest is golf course design. Do you have any design projects on at the moment?
I designed the Prosper Golf Resort course in Celadna near Ostrava in the Czech Republic and there is the course I am designing in the Dominican Republic as well, which is currently at a standstill. Design is another branch of golf that I would like to develop.
The pandemic has seen golf turn into one of the sports of the moment with a big increase in the numbers taking part worldwide because it’s played outdoors and is social distanced. What would you say to someone who is thinking of learning golf?
Stop thinking about it and start playing. The truth is that the pandemic has made golf very popular, especially because you play outdoors and you can keep your distance. It has given a significant boost to the sport.
It seems that Spanish professional golf has had the wind in its sails recently. How do you see the Spanish golfing scene?
The Spanish golf scene has never been bad. There’s a lot of support for it and we have great players every year on the Tour. We now have Jon Rahm, the current US Open champion as the face of Spanish golf, as Severiano Ballesteros was in his day.
What are your personal and professional goals for the future?
To continue enjoying what I do and have the chance of winning. Obviously, you want to win every week, but it is very competitive out there. In a nutshell, to continue to enjoy golf and bag a few more majors.