Miguel Angel Jimenez
The effervescent Spaniard comes into this week in fantastic form, having won last week’s Trophy Hassan II on the PGA Tour Champions. That victory in Morocco followed a tied-2nd finish in the American circuit’s curtain-raiser in Hawaii. Jimenez lives about 25 minutes from Aloha Golf Club and his familiarity with the course and sparkling results to start the year make him the favourite for a popular win on home soil.
“It’s a long time since I last competed in Spain, and I really wanted to play here in Marbella,” said the four-time Ryder Cup player. “It’s amazing to leave the golf course and go to your own bed and homecooked food. I miss home, so it’s very nice to be here. I know the people and the golf course. My friends and family are going to be around so that always motivates you.
“My confidence is high, and I’ve been playing very well. I’m stroking the ball well and hitting it well. I feel confident but we’ll see what happens through the week. You have to respect the other players because we are all working very hard. I’m going to fight for the win, and it would be amazing if I could win the tournament here in front of my people.”
Colin Montgomerie
The eight-time DP World Tour number one is on the hunt for a 10th Legends Tour win and a first global victory since November 2019. He showed glimpses of his old form last week before fading to a tied-25th finish and he’s hoping being in such great surroundings this week can inspire him to another title challenge.
“It’s fantastic to be here,” said the 2010 Ryder Cup captain. “You can’t really beat this weather in February. It’s lovely to come down to the Marbella area, and all credit to everyone that’s been involved here to put this Legends Tour event on.
“I haven’t been keeping great health and I was third with 11 holes to go (last week), which was positive. The trouble is, I played the last 11 holes, but you know, there’s positives. So I’m coming back into it, and this is a good course for me. I hate to say it, but it’s quite fiddly. It’s not long, but you’ve got to position the ball off the tee. The greens are quite severe, quite quick from the back to the front, so you’ve got to control the distance with the second shots, which is to my advantage. I’m looking forward to it.”
Stephen Gallacher
The 2014 Ryder Cupper turned 50 in December and he’s making his Legends Tour debut this week. The Scot’s been playing regularly on the DP World Tour right up until the end of last year, so he’s more than ready to make the transition and relishing this next chapter of his career.
“You get to 50 and you can still keep playing and competing,” said the four-time DP World Tour winner. “That’s why golf is such a great sport. It’s good to catch up with some old friends I’ve not seen for a long time. I mean, I’m through three sets of pals on the main tour, so it’s nice to see the old boys back. The guys I grew up playing golf with. It’s really friendly. I mean, I’ve just bumped into about 30 guys already.
“I’d love to win out here. I’ve won on the HotelPlanner Tour, won on the DP World Tour, so I think my goal is to just try and win. You just want to give yourself a chance coming down the stretch to win it. It’s a new chapter, I’m the rookie now, so I’m learning what to do. It’s back to some beautiful courses that I’ve played in the past, so I’m really looking forward to the year as the new boy on Tour.”
