Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Sweden’s Klas Eriksson were a shot further back in third after rounds of 67, with England’s David Lynn, Welshman David Park, France’s Jean-Francois Remesy and Spain’s Ignacio Garrido sharing fifth on 12 under.

It was Jimenez’s third victory since the Ryder Cup qualifying race began last year – he also won in Majorca and Bangkok – and, barring an improbable series of results, seals his position in Bernhard Langer’s European team to defend the trophy in Michigan during September.

And it will go some way to easing the disappointment of missing out on next week’s US Masters after his disqualification from the Qatar Masters last month.

The 40-year-old from Malaga began the day tied for the lead and birdied the second and fifth to remain at the top of the leaderboard.

Playing partner David Lynn looked set to pose the stiffest challenge after moving to 13 under par at the eighth.

But the Englishman then ran up a double-bogey seven on the 11th after losing his ball in the mud while attempting to escape from the edge of a water hazard.

It fell to Price to set the clubhouse target at 14 under as he stormed home in 31, holing from just two feet on the 18th for a brilliant eagle three.

Jimenez was one clear after a birdie on the 10th, but then three-putted the 13th for bogey and needed to hole a curling 25ft putt for birdie on the 16th to edge in front again.

That gave him the luxury of making pars at the last two holes, but he sealed victory in style with a superb bunker shot on the 18th for a closing birdie.