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Marina Rivas
Malaga
Monday, 17 February 2025, 14:37
Having held onto his lead from the first round, Simon Griffiths finished 15 under par at Aloha Golf Club to claim victory at the Staysure Marbella Legends tournament on Sunday. The English golfer delivered a composed final round of 68 to secure his second Legends Tour title, demonstrating his growing status in senior golf.
Griffiths set the pace with an opening round of 65 and maintained his position with two successive rounds of 68. Entering the final day with a two-shot lead, he faced strong competition from Spain’s Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie.
Malaga's Jiménez had surged up the leaderboard from 16th to third after the second round while Montgomerie was in close pursuit of the leader. Despite the pressure, Griffiths remained composed executing a flawless round with five birdies, including a finishing birdie on the 18th.
Jiménez ultimately finished fourth with a final-round 70 making him the highest-placed Spaniard, ahead of José María Olazábal who finished ninth.
The win marks a significant milestone for Griffiths whose career path has been unconventional. Two years ago he narrowly missed out on qualifying for both the Champions Tour and Legends Tour, finishing sixth in each attempt. That year he earned a place in the Senior Open but was forced to withdraw due to illness.
Last year, he successfully navigated the Legends Tour qualifying school, winning the first stage and finishing second in the final. His debut season saw consistent performances including seven top-10 finishes, a victory at the European Senior Masters and a runner-up position in the season-ending event in Mauritius.
"I'm absolutely delighted. It's incredible. I started with a birdie, Monty was making birdies, and I knew I had to stay strong. I was keeping an eye on the leaderboard as I knew Scott Hend was playing well but the birdie on 15 gave me a lot of confidence," Griffiths said after his triumph.
"I don't know what it is about Spain but I seem to play well here. It's very special to me."
In the amateur Legends Experience event running alongside the main tournament, Vicente Rubio emerged as the winner.
Rubio, who is the director general of the nearby Finca Cortesin in Casares and a member of Aloha Golf, described the experience as unique: "Playing alongside professionals of this calibre is amazing. The nerves are there at the start but you settle in."
"It's different from a Pro-Am because you are in a real competition. I highly recommend it to anyone," he said.
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