• Ryder Cup

Jimenez sets sights on making history at Gleneagles

ESPN staff
January 13, 2014
Jimenez won the Hong Kong Open to break his own record as oldest European Tour winner © Getty Images
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Miguel Angel Jimenez has targeted becoming the oldest player to ever represent Europe at the Ryder Cup when the biennial competition returns at Gleneagles in September.

Jimenez, who turned 50 last week, is in some of the best form of his life having lifted his 20th European Tour title at the Hong Kong Open in December - a victory which extended his own record as the oldest winner in Tour history.

And a fifth appearance in the Ryder Cup would see him become the oldest to compete for Europe in the tournament's 87 years, surpassing Ted Ray who was two months and five days past his 50th birthday when he teed up at the inaugural contest in 1927.

"If I play well I believe I will be on the team," said Jimenez, who has won 13 of his 20 European Tour titles since turning 40.

"It's very difficult to maintain a high level, but if my game is there I will be there. It would mean a lot to me, it's still breaking records."

Should he not qualify as a player, Jimenez is confident he will be named as a vice-captain to skipper Paul McGinley. The pair were assistants to Jose Maria Olazabal at Medinah in 2012, but the Irishman has confirmed he will not reveal his assistants until June when he will have a better idea of how the team is shaping up.

But Jimenez will captain Europe in the newly-formed EurAsia Cup, a team event against Asia in March.

"We had a few words and he wants me to be a captain in the EurAsia Cup," Jimenez added. "I'm going to do that and if I'm not on the Ryder Cup team, probably I will be helping him.

"But I am going to keep working hard on my game because I would like to be there with the clubs in the hands. If you are not playing well, you don't want to be on the team, it's a lot of responsibility. It means a lot to me and many players and you need to know that you are in good shape."

The oldest player to ever play in a Ryder Cup is three-time major champion Raymond Floyd, who represented the US at The Belfry in 1993 aged 51 years and 20 days.

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