Miguel Angel Jimenez Atop The Leaderboard In Turkey

Jul 14, 2014; Wirral, GBR; Miguel Angel Jimenez (right) checks his notes on the 16th tee during a practice round at the 143rd Open Championship at The Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

Miguel Angel Jimenez may not be the most interesting man in the world, but the 50 year-old Spaniard is the most interesting man in golf. Jimenez fired an opening round, nine under par 63 at the Turkish Airlines Open on Thursday, and takes a one-shot lead to the clubhouse on the Montgomerie Maxx Golf Course in Antalya, Turkey.

It all started when Jimenez teed off on the back nine in the first round, and holed out on the first hole from the fairway at the par four 10th, and never looked back. The opening eagle, and seven birdies gives the aging Spaniard a one-shot lead over a hard-charging Ian Poulter.

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Miguel Jimenez is ranked 47th in the world, and has 21 wins on the European Tour, with the last coming at the Open de Espana back in May, seven wins on the Asian Tour, and one victory on the Champions Tour. He beat Bernhard Langer at the Greater Gwinnett Championship in April. He has yet to win on the PGA Tour.

Ian Poulter got his game going again in Turkey, carding an eight under 64, and keeping Jimenez in his sights. The Brit picked up an eagle of his own at the par five 13th, but a bogey on 12 left him one-shot short of sharing the overnight lead.

Poulter has knocked on the door all year, but has not been able to crack the winner’s circle in 2014. The 38 year-old Ryder Cup star, like Jimenez, really has no chance to win the Race To Dubai Championship, but they can get themselves in position for the huge purse next week in Dubai.

Brit rookie, Tyrell Hatton, Aussie, Wade Ormsby, and PGA Tour regular, Brendon de Jonge from Zimbabwe all have a share of third place, two strokes back at seven under par.

Ormsby had an exciting round, with eight birdies, and one bogey on the back nine. With two bogeys, and two birdies, he went even par on the front. After making a bogey at 12, Ormsby made six consecutive birdies to card a 65 in the opening round.

Of the top three players with an outside chance to win the Race To Dubai, but need to win this week in Turkey, German, Marcel Siem fared the best on Thursday. Siem won the BMW Masters two weeks ago in Shanghai, and got in the clubhouse at two under par after the first round. He is seven shots back, but has a chance.

The RTD number two, Jamie Donaldson didn’t fare as well. The Welshman started out on the front with birdies at 10, and eleven to make the turn at three under, but three bogeys on the front nine left him at even par, and nine shots off the pace set by Jimenez.

Sergio Garcia is in real trouble. The 34 year-old Spaniard started on the back as well, and one birdie with one bogey saw him make the turn at even par. He lost ground on the front with a disaster at the par four sixth hole where he made a seven. He ended his day at three over par, and probably too far back to have a chance.

The world still wonders why Garcia chose to play at the PGA Tour event in Malaysia when he needed to play at the BMW Masters in Shanghai to have any chance of catching the Race To Dubai leader, Rory McIlroy. Oh Well!! Garcia finished T2 in Kuala Lumpur, but has not fared well in the playoff events.

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