Joe Jimenez

Who was Joe Jimenez?

Joe Jimenez was an American professional golfer best known for winning the 1978 PGA Seniors' Championship.

Jimenez, who was of Mexican American descent, was born in Kerrville, Texas. He was a 1952 graduate of Trinity University with majors in biology and physical education. Jimenez played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He spent many years as the club pro at the Jefferson City Country Club in Jefferson City, Missouri. His best showing in a major championship was a T-45 at the 1958 U.S. Open. The highlight of his career came when he won the 1978 PGA Seniors' Championship in a playoff over Manuel de la Torre and Joe Cheves with a birdie on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Jimenez holds or formerly held two of golf's "shoot below your age" records. At the 1991 GTE Northwest Classic, a Senior PGA Tour event, 65-year-old Jimenez became the youngest player to shoot his age or lower in a tournament on one of golf's major professional circuits by shooting a 63. This record was later broken when 61-year-old Walter Morgan shot a 60 in the AT&T Canada Senior Open Championship. Jimenez still holds the most-strokes-below-age record. He shot a 62 during the 1995 Ameritech Senior Open at the age of 69.