(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Those long locks are still there, so is the famed expressiveness, the cigar too and the colourful lifestyle. And despite turning 54 earlier this month, Miguel Angel Jimenez showed he's still got game.
The Omega Dubai Desert Classic is 29 years old but the Spaniard has outlived the Major of the Middle East.
Thirty years on the European Tour is by no means easy by any stretch of imagination but the veteran from Malaga still continues to rock up at golf venues around the world.
But he's not doing it to just make up the numbers, certainly not at the Desert Classic.
Making his 24th appearance here, the 2010 winner turned back the years with a fine effort in the second round at the Majlis Course of the Emirates Golf Club on a foggy Friday.
Jimenez, the oldest winner on the European Tour, carded a four-under 68 on the day and add to the six-under 66 in the first round, he jumped five spots to be tied fifth with 10-under on a truncated day.
Three decades is a long time and Jimenez has played against different generations of golfers and he is the sport's elder statesman, so to speak.
He mostly plies his trade now on the Champions Tour but does plays in select events on the European Tour. And the Desert Classic is one of them.
"I always enjoy Dubai very much, with this beautiful weather and these conditions. It's a nice golf course. I've won here in 2010, and a golf course where I feel like I can defend myself with my game, and here we are," Jimenez said on Friday.
Jimenez revealed that the burning desire to compete with the young lads was difficult to pass up.
"I still like to play with the young boys. I still like to play on The European Tour. Obviously, now I play 90 per cent on the Champions Tour, but I still love to come here to some tournaments. I also want to see another new generation of guys coming up. I see a lot of faces I don't know here. That's good," he said.
He was also pleased with his performance on the day.
"I've been feeling good. I'm hitting good from the tee, putting good. The game's good, and especially I play with all the people around, I'm happy to be here and they are happy to see me here," said Jimenez, who has six top-10 finishes in Dubai.
Jimenez loves the good life and after signing off a good day at the golf, he enjoyed his cigar before going for a nap and then wrapped it up by heading off to a fine Spanish restaurant for the night.
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