2004

Jimenez Prevails

Miguel Angel Jimenez sealed his fifth win of 2004 with yet another outstanding finish at Fanling.

In what proved to be a thrilling final round, the Spaniard managed to hold off playing partners James Kingston and defending champion Padraig Harrington by a stroke thanks to a stellar 66 – and a last gasp mistake by Kingston, who, when tied for the lead, hooked his tee shot on the 18th up against the Out of Bounds fence to end his dreams of a maiden European Tour victory.

The excitement reached fever pitch on the 17th. With the trio matching each other shot for shot, South African Kingston holed a majestic 30-footer to take the outright lead. It proved to be short lived however, as the pony-tailed man from Malaga drained his own 25-foot putt to huge cheers from the galleries.

The putt proved to be crucial. Struggling to keep his emotions in check, Kingston faltered at the last, while Harrington's lengthy putt on 18 to get him in a play-off fell short. Steely-nerved Jimenez played the hole perfectly: a drive and pitch to eight-feet, from where he calmly two-putted for glory.