U.S. Open: ‘The Mechanic’ to Tee Off With Spanish Comrades

THE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY groupings for next week’s U.S. Open are out. Miguel Angel Jimenez, nicknamed “The Mechanic” because of his interest in tinkering with sports cars (notably his red Ferrari), will tour Congressional Country Club with fellow Spanish pros Sergio Garcia and Alvaro Quiros. The trio representing golf in Spain will go off at 1:24 p.m. on Thursday and 7:44 a.m. on Friday.

(Note: There’s also an all-Italian grouping of Francesco Molinari, Matteo Manassero, and Edoardo Molinari that follows directly after the Spaniards. Two of them, of course, are brothers.)

Jimenez, an 18-time winner on the European Tour, including 11 titles since the age of 40, has had spotty results in nine U.S. Open appearances. His best finish was a tie for second in 2000 at Pebble Beach where Tiger Woods dominated the field. That was followed by a dry spell until 2008 at Torrey Pines when The Mechanic finished in a sixth-place tie. The last two years he missed the cut.

Jimenez resides in Malaga, a large coastal city on the Mediterranean Sea about 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of the Strait of Gibraltar. This glimmering stretch of coastline has become known as a golf resort destination. Golf Costa Del Sol stretches from Jimenez’s native Malaga to Sotogrande, and includes a number of top championship golf courses and resorts.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Brought to you by YourGolfTravel.com, the online destination for golf breaks uk.)

(Photo credit: Richard Carter, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Rory McIlroy Spotted ‘House Hunting’

WHATEVER YOU MAKE OF Rory McIlroy’s Sunday back-nine collapse at Augusta, the Irish lad certainly has a healthy sense of humor about his Masters misadventures. Accompanied by the photograph at right, Rory tweeted this on Sunday:

“Apparently I was spotted house hunting last week..... LOL!!!”

Now that’s funny. Of course, the image documents Rory’s unfolding disaster at the par-4 10th where he eventually walked away with a triple-bogey seven.

The Irish star again had difficulty closing out a win this past weekend at the Malaysia Open.

Leading on Saturday night and facing 27 holes on Sunday due to weather-related delays, Rory was overtaken by Italian phenom Matteo Manassero, who notched his second win in just 25 starts on the European Tour. Manassero closed with a 68 to finish at 16 under and edge Gregory Bourdy by a shot. The Italian teenager will turn 18 on Tuesday.

A three-putt double bogey at the 15th was costly as McIlroy completed his third round one stroke off the lead. Then a fourth-round rally that included three birdies in four holes on the back nine stalled at the 72nd hole when Rory carded a bogey. He shot a 69 and finished alone in third.

“I’m proud of the way I picked up myself from last week,” he remarked to the media.

Today, Rory was en route to his Northern Ireland home for two weeks of R and R.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Visor tip to Mike Walker at Golf.com’s Press Tent.)

(Image: Courtesy of @McIloryRory)