Strong finish for Jimenez after woeful start

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain mastered the tricky winds at Augusta on Sunday to post an impressive final-round 68 and complete an admirable fightback at the U.S. Masters.

Jimenez opened with a five-over-par 77, qualified for weekend play on the cut line and started the third round by playing with a non-competing marker.

His four-under-par round in winds gusting to 50 kph gave him a one-under-par 287 total and a possible top-10 finish in the year's first major.

"It was very satisfying," the 44-year-old European Ryder Cup veteran told reporters. "That was the goal, no? Just to make the cut on Friday and then hope to jump up as much as possible."

The barrel-chested Spaniard got rolling with an eagle at the par-four seventh hole where he holed a seven-iron from the fairway.

Jimenez followed that with birdies at 13 and 14 to reach even-par for the tournament, and chipped in at the last to go under par for the championship.

"It was a tough day today there," Jimenez said. "It's not easy. Because you have to look at the wind.

"But I'm hitting the ball very solid," he said. "I hit it very solid from the tee to greens all the week."

(Writing by Larry Fine; editing by Miles Evans)