At the Open de Andalucia, a tournament he hosted and helped sponsor, he was T7.

2011: Advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship for the first time since 2000. Defeated Yuta Ikeda (2 and 1), Ryan Palmer (4 and 2) and Ben Crane (7 and 6) before losing to Martin Kaymer (1-up).

Contended in South Korea before settling for a second-place finish at the Ballantine's Championship. Shot a final-round 71 to fall by a stroke to Lee Westwood. Opened his final round at Blackstone GC with bogeys on two of his first four holes and couldn't rally, making nothing but pars on his back nine. Shot four rounds in the 60s (68-65-69-67) to finish T2 in the Volvo Golf Champions.

Shot a final-round 70 at the Andalucia Masters in his home country of Spain to fall to fellow countryman Sergio Garcia by a stroke. It was his third runner-up performance of the season. 2010: Edged Lee Westwood on the third playoff hole to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates GC in early February. The pair both shot final-round 72s and halved the first two playoff holes with pars before Jimenez parred the third playoff hole for the win.

Came back in July to win the Alstom Open de France in Paris which locked up a spot on the European Ryder Cup team, his fourth time in the biennial competition. Added his third title at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September.

At the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in Wales, compiled a 2-1-0 record during the European team's win.

Shot a final-round 66 to climb up the leaderboard at the Barclays Singapore Open to T8. 2009: Best finish on the PGA TOUR was a T6 at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Reached the milestone of 500 events played on the European Tour at the Open de France. The 2009 and 2010 Czech Open was also played at his course design, Prosper GC. 2008: Recorded what he considered the then-greatest victory of his career, at the BMW PGA Championship, when he defeated Oliver Wilson in one of the European Tour's flagship events. It was his second European Tour victory of the year (UBS Hong Kong Open).

Was 0-2-1 in his three Ryder Cup matches in the Europeans' five-point loss to the U.S. in Kentucky. 2007: Began his season in 2006, at the UBS Hong Kong Open, where he T6.

In mid-January, fired rounds of 65-68-68 over his final 54 holes but came up a stroke short of Paul Casey at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, finishing T2.

Added his second top-10 in the desert when he T10 at the Dubai Desert Classic, his second consecutive top-10 at the event.

Added another T10 at the BMW Asian Open.

In May, he was T5 at the BMW PGA Championship, shooting a pair of 72s on the weekend.

Two weeks later, at the BA-CA Golf Open in Austria, he had four rounds in the 60s to finish at 15-under and T3 a stroke out of the Richard Green-Jean-Francois Remesy playoff that Green won.

Contended again at the British Masters at The Belfry before settling for a T4 with six others.

Final top-10 was a solo seventh at the Volvo Masters in Spain at Valderrama GC.

In his only major championship where he made the cut, he T12 at the British Open (missed the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship). 2006: Made eight PGA TOUR appearances, with his best performance coming in April at the year's first Masters, a T11 at Augusta National.

Was fifth at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for his first top-10 of the season.

Added a T4 two weeks later, at the Dubai Desert Classic.

At the BMW Championship at Wentworth Club, was in second, three strokes off David Howell's leading pace through 54 holes. Shot a final-round, even-par 72 to finish solo third, six strokes behind Howell.

Final top-10 was at the BA-CA Golf Open. Had a hiccup with a 74 in the third round that ruined any chances of victory after shooting 67s in the first, second and final rounds. 2005: Best PGA TOUR finish was a T17 in February at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

In early December 2004, he began his European Tour season in style by winning the Omega Hong Kong Open. At Hong Kong GC, fashioned a final-round 66 to hold off Padraig Harrington (67 Sunday) for a one-shot win.

With a one-shot lead, 54-hole lead over Ernie Els at the Dubai Desert Classic, he shot a 2-under 70 on the final day but watched as Els, with a 68, passed him by to win by one.

Picked up win No. 2 by shooting a sterling, final-round 62 at The Celtic Manor Wales Open to roll to a four-stroke win over Martin Erlandsson.

Had bookend 67s in the first and final rounds at the Mallorca Classic to T8 at Pula GC in Spain. 2004: At age 40, had a career year, as he claimed four titles on his way to finishing fourth on the European Tour order of merit, equaling his highest position.

First championship came at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Bangkok, Thailand. Opened with a 70 then reeled off rounds of 66-67-68 to beat Thomas Bjorn by two shots.

Second title of the season was at the Algarve Open de Portugal by two strokes over Terry Price.

Won for the second time in Asia, this time in China, at the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai. Was six strokes behind Simon Dyson when the final round began, but a 67, combined with Dyson's 76 gave him the three-shot victory.

At the BMW International Open in Munich, he earned his final win, playing superb golf all week with four rounds in the 60s (68-66-67-66) at GC Munchen Eichenried.

Fell short of a fifth win a week later at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland, ending runner-up to Luke Donald.

Lost in the semifinals of the HSBC World Match Play Championship and finished T3 at the Wentworth Club.

Late in the year, at the PGA TOUR's unofficial Shinhan Korea Golf Championship, he was T2 to Arron Oberholser at JungMun GC on Jeju Island.

Was 1-3 playing in his second Ryder Cup, with his lone victory coming in four-ball play with Darren Clarke as his partner. 2003: Won the weather-shortened Turespana Mallorca Classic by a stroke over fellow countryman Jose Maria Olazabal.

Despite playing terrific golf all week at the Linde German Masters, finishing 24-under after rounds of 67-62-67-68, he still lost by two strokes to K.J. Choi (63-68-64-67).

Had three top-10s in four starts in the late summer, with a T6 at the Scandic Carlsberg Scandinavian Masters and T8s at the Nordic Open and the Omega European Masters. 2002: Played as a PGA TOUR member for the first time, making 19 starts and 10 cuts. Best finish was a T9 at the Masters.

Also played in 11 European Tour tournaments, with his top showing a T6 at the BMW Asian Open in November 2011. 2001: Only top-10s were a trio of T3 performances, with two of them coming in back-to-back starts. At the British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, he was a distant four strokes behind David Duval.

The following week, at The TNT Open in the Netherlands, was four shots behind winner Bernhard Langer.

Early in the year in Spain, at the Via Digital Open de Espana, was T3, three strokes shy of winner Robert Karlsson. 2000: Played in 11 PGA TOUR events and had two top-10s, including a T2 with Ernie Els, 15 shots behind winner Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach GL. Finished the year by teaming with fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, for a T7 showing at the year's last World Golf Championships event, the EMC World Cup.