St. Andrews, Scotland …

Miguel Angel Jimenez has joined his late, great compatriot Seve Ballesteros to become only the second Spaniard in the history of the game to win a Major Championship at St. Andrews.

Jimenez posted a final round 69 to win by a shot with a 12-under par tally on the Old Course at the Home of Golf.

Germany’s Bernhard Langer and defending Senior Open champion signed for a four-under par 68 to finish runner-up on 11-under par to finish second for a third occasion in the tournament since 2013.

Since turning 50 in 2014 Jimenez has now won six Seniors Tour events with his last two victories being Majors after capturing the Regions Traditions in the US in May and now the Senior Open.

Jimenez commenced his final round enjoying a two-shot lead at nine-under par and after the fourth birdie of his round at the 12th he led by three but then that was cut back to two shots when he bogeyed the 15th ahead of ending with three pars.

Ballesteros captured the second of his two Open Championship title in 1984 at St. Andrews and now Jimenez has joined Seve in lifting a similar claret jug.

Jimenez was aged just 20 years back in 1984 and was just a few months into 15-months of mandatory service in the Spanish Army but he now finds himself alongside Seve as a winner at the Home of Golf.

“This is one of my biggest victories and it is amazing to win here,” he said.

“This is my second major of the year, and it’s amazing to be the winner of The Open here at St. Andrews the Home of Golf.

“Seve’s been my a real inspiration through the years, what he’s done. This week, especially the first two rounds when I played with Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer, both of them, the way they were striking the ball, and it’s amazing to play with them.”

And victory, aside from the rich cash prize, earns Jimenez a tee-time in next year’s 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

It will be the first occasion Jimenez will play the course given he did not contest the 2012 European Tour’s Irish Open but then he did get a look at Royal Portrush each day during the 2017 Irish Open in travelling from his hotel to Portstewart.

Langer, who got off to a brilliant start with four birdies in his opening six holes, was ever-gracious in defeat.

“I was pretty happy overall. It’s not easy in some of the conditions that we had,” said Langer.

“Today we were very fortunate that it didn’t blow 18-mile-an-hour like the forecast said it would, and so that made it a lot more playable and easier, and the scores I’m sure were a lot better than they were yesterday.”

The trio of Canadian Stephen Ames (69) and the American pair of Scott McCarron (68) and Kirk Triplett (69) shared third place on 10-under par.