Miguel Angel Jimenez avenged one of the most disappointing finishes of his career on Sunday by capping a late rally with a sudden-death victory over Steven Alker in the $3.5 million Kaulig Companies Championship.

Jimenez, the cigar-chomping Spaniard, birdied the final two holes at Firestone Country Club’s rugged South Course to force overtime, and then birdied the 18th hole again from 15 feet on the second extra hole to win his fourth event this year and third career major title on the PGA Tour Champions.

“It’s very special. I played very well this year, but coming in this third major of the year, I’ve been playing very well,” Jimenez said. “This week I win here and put my name on the side of all great names through the history of the golf tournament here on this beautiful golf course, probably one of the better golf courses we’ll play all year. No words to explain, fantastic.”

In the 2016 U.S. Senior Open, Jimenez bogeyed the final two holes at Scioto Country Club in Columbus to lose by a stroke to Gene Sauers. The Buckeye state owed him one.

“Yeah, I finish bogey-bogey, lose by one,” he recalled. “We are all human, you know? This time is much better.”

Jimenez, 61, is in the midst of a resurgence after going winless the last two years. His four wins is a career-high in senior golf in one season and the most by a player in his 60s in a season. Jimenez straightened up and flashed a broad smile when he was informed of a record not even all-time victory leader Bernhard Langer had reached. He then pointed out that he has four wins “and I still counting.”

About his turnaround this year he said, “I doing nothing different.” Then Jimenez thought a moment and shrugged. “Maybe I still holing more putts than the previous year, that also helps,” he continued. “I feel more confidence on the greens. Even sometimes not making enough putts, we all think we don’t make enough. I start getting a little better. Just enjoying myself on the golf course. I play the game, working hard.”

He earned $525,000 and a berth in next year’s Players Championship (the Kaulig is essentially the Senior Players)—though in the aftermath, Jimenez seemed to baulk at the idea of going to TPC Sawgrass. “That is a different league,” he said.

While Jimenez collected his 17th career title on the PGA Tour Champions, Alker was relegated to his 17th runner-up finish and second this year—both times behind Jimenez. The New Zealander has nine top-five finishes this year in 11 events, including a playoff win over Jason Caron at the Cologuard Classic.

“Yeah, I had a chance to win the golf tournament. It was some sloppy golf in the middle,” said Alker, 53, who was denied his 10th senior win. “Miguel, the way he finished, he just did Miguel things again, you know what I mean? So kudos to him. … He made the plays.”

https://twitter.com/ChampionsTour/status/1936941511620411849

Alker and Jimenez shared the 54-hole lead and essentially engaged in a two-man battle in which they stretched their lead to four shots at one point.

Jimenez birdied his first two holes for an early lead but then failed to notch another until he guided home a six-footer on the 17th hole to climb within one of Alker, who had reached 10 under par. On 18, Alker missed a chance to put it away when his 18-foot birdie try on the long par-4 finishing hole, ranked the toughest on Sunday, missed low and left. Then Jimenez converted from 12 feet to tie Alker. Each closed with two-under 68 for a 270 total.

The two men halved the first playoff hole, also at 18, with pars, with Alker getting up and down from the front of the green. On the second, Alker hit a low-running approach from the right rough that scampered onto the green 20 feet from the cup. He ran his birdie putt three feet by before Jimenez ended it with his third birdie in four holes.

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Main Image: David Berding