Miguel Angel Jimenez hit by stomach bug, shoots 72 in Hong Kong Open
Defending champion visits the 'woods' during his painful round, but says his opening score still puts him in a position to challenge for the title
Miguel Angel Jimenez's bid for an unprecedented third straight Hong Kong Open title began on a painful and embarrassing note, as the colourful Spaniard struggled with a bad tummy that even forced him to pay a visit "into the woods at one point".
Laid low by a bout of food poisoning, which had kept him up the night before the opening round, Jimenez barely managed to get around his favourite Fanling course as he finished with a two-over par 72. It was his worst round in two years.
"It has not been good at all. I have been very sick and been vomiting all night," said Jimenez.
"I'm feeling very sore. I even had to go into the woods at one stage. I felt my body cramping. I came here to play and I'm sorry for that was unprofessional," said Jimenez after carding three bogeys and a birdie in his first round.
It has not been good at all. I have been very sick and been vomiting all night
The winner of the past two editions and four-time Hong Kong Open champion is not only bidding to become the first man to win three in a row, but also to match Tiger Woods, Bernhard Langer and Tom Watson who are the only golfers to win the same tournament five times on the European Tour.
But what was supposed to be a nice seafood dinner with his new wife, Susanna, and some friends on the eve of the 56th Hong Kong Open seems to have upset his plans to make history as he struggled in his round playing with Nicolas Colsaerts and Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
