Jordan Spieth ‘Soaring’ With Penultimate Hole Eagle & Three Shots From Australian Open Immortality.

World No. 1 Jordan Spieth brilliantly kept alive a successful defence of his title with a penultimate hole eagle on day three of the Australian Open in Sydney.

Spieth is seeking to join legendary Jack Nicklaus and fellow Grand Slam champion Gary Player as the only non-Australian born players to win back-to-back Australian Open titles and in the 100th staging of the event.

And the 22-year Texas kept that dream alive holing a 165 metre 8-iron second shot at the 399-metre par four 17th hole in an eventual round of a four under par 67 for a seven under par total.

It sent the double Major winning Spieth into second place and just three shots behind Australia’s Matt Jones who had putted in off the green at the 17th for birdie in a second straight score of 68 to finish at 10 under par.

Spieth had commenced his round bogeying three of his opening four holes to fall eight shots adrift of Jones but then ignited his drive to the top with back to back birdies at five and six.  He bogeyed the eight ahead of completing his last 10 holes in six under par and capped with an eagle ‘2’ at the 17th.

World No. 1 Jordan Spieth reaction after holding his second shot for eagle at the par four 17th.

World No. 1 Jordan Spieth’s reaction after holding his second shot for eagle at the par four 17th.

“When I finished my round I thought I would be one back but I am not three behind Matt but either way I am in a lot better place than I was after four holes today,” said the World No. 1.

“It was one of the best fought rounds I’ve had and I can remember as I was in position at the start of the day to make a bit of a move but then I became lazy in my decision-making as you saw with those early bogeys.

“So to completely rebound with that birdie on five was key as that settled me down so much as it was fantastic golf from there on.”

Spieth arrived back to Australian having won six times in the intervening period, including capturing the back-to-back Masters and U.S. Open championships.

And the Texan is determined to head to next week’s defence also of his Hero World Challenge title in the Bahamas with a second straight Australian Open win to his name.

Jordan Spieth on his way to finishing three behind with a round to play in the 2015 Australian Open.

Jordan Spieth on his way to finishing three behind with a round to play in the 2015 Australian Open.

“It would be a feeling I have not experienced because as a professional I’ve only had one other opportunity to defend and that was the John Deere Classic in 2014 but then defending tournaments is hard to do,” he said,

“So what I need to do is to throw out thinking about the final round 63 I shot here in Sydney last year as I will now have to accept the battle will be tight as Matt (Jones) is a tough guy to chase.

“But if I were to win it would be a pretty special moment and if am lucky to be sitting here in that moment I will tell you then I will want to successfully defend the next six tournaments as they were pretty good ones I won.”

The 35-year old Arizona-based Jones was on the 16th fairway when he saw Spieth eagle the 17th and he responded with birdies also at 17 as well as the last.

Jones is chasing only a second pro career victory since capturing the 2014 Shell Houston Open but having grown-up less around a 20-minute drive from the course, and having been a junior member of the Australian Club he also would welcome success.

Matt Jones takes a 3 shot lead into the final round of the 2015 Australian Open

Matt Jones takes a 3 shot lead into the final round of the 2015 Australian Open

“It would be fantastic if I won the Australian Open and it’s something I have thought about growing up and watching the likes of my boyhood hero, Greg Norman winning this event and then when Tim Clark won at Royal Sydney it was great,” said Jones.

“Geoff (Ogilvy) beat me at The Lakes in 2010 and that stung me a little because I thought I played well enough to beat him.

“So I’ve been close before so I am going to give it everything I can as I would love to have my name on that trophy alongside the likes of Nicklaus, Norman and it would be amazing.”

Jones is also in line to secure one of three places into next year’s Open Championship along with fellow Australian Rhein Gibson (68) in third place on five under par.

As well, the duo of Lincoln Tighe (70) and Aron Price (70), and both Australian, could earn the third 2016 Royal Troon tee time as they share fourth spot on four under par.

 



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