Dubai: Veteran golfer Miguel Angel Jimenez has vowed to play more on the European Tour this season in order to realise his dream of lighting up a cigar at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“For me, my career, after all the victories, being on the Ryder Cup, all over the place, and 52 years old, in the Olympics with a big fat Habana in my mouth, it will be amazing,” said the Spanish maverick ahead of this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club.
“I’m now the third best Spaniard in golf’s world rankings. Sergio Garcia is 13th, and then it’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello [World No.85] and then it’s me,” added the World No.93, who needs to finish top two to make it to Brazil. “I was second the week before but Rafa has just passed me. We are fighting for that second spot.
“I would love to be in the Olympics and I will play more here [on the European Tour] because you have more world rankings points than on the Champions Tour [the PGA’s senior’s format].
“I’m going to concentrate a little bit more and try to fight for that second spot for the Olympics. That would be nice if I could achieve that in my career.
“People say golf has not been in the Olympics since 1912 or something like that, but I don’t know if you can count that. This will be golf’s first official Olympics and it will be amazing to be part of it.
“The object is just to make the Olympics – but in a funny way, I would also like to be there with a cigar in my mouth and a glass in my hand.”
