Miguel Angel Jimenez has been one of the most interesting personalities on the PGA Tour for quite some time. Besides being known for his signature ponytail or his penchant for smoking cigars, he is well-respected by his peers for his laid-back attitude and fun competitive spirit.
Jimenez recently sat down with Golf.com’s Alan Shipnuck at Augusta National and gave perhaps one of the all-time great interviews in golf history. Here are some highlights — Jimenez doesn’t hold back on anything.
On his smoking and drinking habits:
“I come from a different generation. And I’m not a hypocrite. I don’t hide the way I am. If I want to have a drink, I have a drink. Why shouldn’t I? Is it illegal to drink alcohol? Is tobacco illegal? So why should I care if people see me smoking? I do what I do out in the open. If people have a problem with that they can stick their tongue up their ass and let the rest of us do what we want to do. You can quote me exactly the way I said that.”
On meeting his second wife, Susanne, whom he met several years ago at a tournament:
“She was on the course watching the golf, and she followed us for eight holes. “At one point I leaned over and said to my caddie, ‘I see a beautiful blonde over there, wearing nice pants with a beautiful ass. I want to know exactly where she is on every part of the golf course.'”
…and on whether or not winning more money motivates him:
“For me money is just something you need to live well. But it’s not going to make you happier. You are happy when you do things in life that you like. Money helps, but it’s a means to an end. Amassing money for its own sake is meaningless to me. I make it to use it. I like Ferraris so I buy Ferraris. I wanted to build a golf academy so I did. I like to do things.”
You can read the interview in its entirety here — I assure you that it’s worth your time.