Vartan Kupelian is a PGATOUR.COM contributor. Each week, Kupelian will size up the field and provide his top 10 players going into the tournament, based on factors such as the player's strengths, the course setup and other ret year.

Miguel Angel Jimenez became the first Spaniard to win The Senior Open presented by Rolex last year when he posted a 1-shot victory over Bernhard Langer on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Jimenez closed with a final round 69 for a 12-under-par 276 total. Langer’s closing 68 gave him second place alone at 277. Scott McCarron, Stephen Ames and Kirk Triplett shot 28.

Jimenez will defend his title this week at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. He became the third straight international golfer to win the Senior Open, following Germany’s Langer and England’s Paul Broadhurst.

Jimenez posted top 10s in all five senior majors in 2018, averaging 68.40 in the majors.

“It's amazing,” Jimenez said “Obviously at St. Andrews (is) the Home of Golf, it's a place that many people want to win. Yes, Seve played well in the British Open, and so it's amazing to be here in this place with all these things, and my name is part of history.”

Jimenez became the second Spaniard to win on the Old Course, where countryman Seve Ballesteros won the British Open in 1984.

“Miguel played an awesome four days of golf, and he's a very well-deserved winner,” Langer said.