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Jimenez battling big names

Major winners line up alongside reigning champ in Hong Kong

By Claire Hughes Last updated: 20th November 2008

Jimenez: Eyeing up chance

Live coverage of the Hong Kong Open gets under way on Thursday at 6am on Sky Sports 3

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An all-star cast are lining up for the UBS Hong Kong Open - with Miguel Angel Jimenez hoping to lead the way.

Last year's Hong Kong winner will tee off alongside major winners Nick Faldo, Jon Daly, Jose Maria Olazabal and Bernhard Langer, as he aims to make a perfect start to the Race to Dubai.

"It has been a long season with many long trips and at the end of the year your body feels tired," said the Spaniard, who missed the 2009-season opener at the HSBC Champions last week to recover from a gruelling European Tour campaign.

"I took two weeks off after the Volvo Masters and decided not to play the week of Shanghai but take a week off to recharge the batteries and do what I needed to at home.

"Now it is my first tournament of the season for the Race to Dubai."

Triple chance

If Jimenez can secure back-to-back wins, he will become the first European to lift the trophy three times, having also won in 2004.

"This is a place I have always enjoyed coming to since my first time here in 2004, when I won," he added.

"This is a nice golf course, it is an old fashioned course where you need to hit the ball very well from the tee and place the ball well for the second shots.

"Also it is great to be in Hong Kong and always nice to be back, and I hope to be able to defend the title properly."