Joe Jimenez

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For other persons named Joe Jimenez, see Joe Jimenez (disambiguation).

Joe Jimenez (June 10, 1926 – August 11, 2007) was an American professional golfer best known for winning the 1978 PGA Seniors' Championship.

Jimenez was born in Kerrville, Texas. He played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He spent many years (1964–1991) as the club pro at the Jefferson City Country Club in Jefferson City, Missouri. His best showing in a major championship was a T-45 at the 1958 U.S. Open. The highlight of his career came when he won the 1978 PGA Seniors' Championship in a playoff over Manuel de la Torre and Joe Cheves with a birdie on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Jimenez holds or formerly held two of golfs "shoot below your age" records. At the 1991 GTE Northwest Classic, a Senior PGA Tour event, 65-year-old Jimenez became the youngest player to shoot his age or lower in a tournament on one of golf's major professional circuits by shooting a 63. This record was later broken when 61-year-old Walter Morgan shot a 60 in the AT&T Canada Senior Open Championship. Jimenez still holds the most-strokes-below-age (7) record. He shot a 62 during the 1995 Ameritech Senior Open at the age of 69.[1]

Since 1974, the Jefferson City Country Club has hosted a tournament in his honor, the Joe Jimenez Invitational. [2] He holds several Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions records.

Jiminez died on August 11, 2007 at his home in San Antonio from renal failure brought on by lung cancer. He was 81 years old. [3]

[edit] Senior wins

[edit] References

  1. ^ Article from golf.about.com: Golf Age Shooters - What are the Records for Age Shooters in Golf? (URL last accessed October 28, 2006)
  2. ^ Jefferson City, Missouri News Tribune: At age 80, Jimenez still has game (URL last accessed October 28, 2006)
  3. ^ Jefferson City, Missouri News Tribune: Joe Jimenez, longtime head professional at J.C.C.C., dies at age 81 (URL last accessed August 14, 2007)