Double Aussie Open champion Matt Jones admits he can’t wait to travel with his all-Australian LIV Golf team to international golf-starved Adelaide.
Jones joins the all-Aussie four-man ‘Rippers GC’ side featuring Open Champion Cam Smith as captain along with Marc Leishman and Jed Morgan in this week’s first event at the Mayakoba resort in Mexico of the 14-event 2023 LIV Golf Series.
The series will head to Adelaide for the fourth event, and the third of nine countries, and to be staged from April 21st to 23rd at The Grange Club.
Jones teed-up at the start of what is his 22nd season as a professional earlier this month at the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International where he posted promising opening two rounds of 68 only to then finish just inside the top-60.
Aussie Matt Jones delighted to be bringing LIV Golf to international golf starved Adelaide) Photo @TourMiss
It was the first time he’d had a scorecard in his hand since a share of 36th place at last November’s historic DP World Tour co-sanctioned ISPS Handa Australian Open in Melbourne.
Jones remained in the Middle East for a second week to contest the inaugural Asian Tour’s International Series Oman where he secured a 17th place result on the stunning Greg Norman designed Al Mouq course laid out along the Gulf of Oman in Muscat.
Prior to heading to the Middle East, it had been a decent near two-month Festive Season break for now he 42-year-old ahead of the start this week of the 2023 LIV Golf Series in Mexico.
“It varies from year to year how I perform earlier in a new season, though for the most part I would say I am a fast starter, said Smith when asked if he’s normally a fast or slow starter heading into each new season.
“The two events did help rid a lot of rust from my game so I’m now excited heading into the first event in Mexico of the LIV season, and being on the Aussie team for all 14 events. It should be good with Cam captaining the side along with Leish and Jed”.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the LIV Golf season for the four Aussies will be teeing-up in suburban Adelaide, and the first time the South Australian capital will have ever hosted a golf tournament boasting so much talent.
It was at The Grange club in October 1976 when then 21-year-old golden haired Queenslander in his final year as a trainee professional golfer named Greg Norman, who had been playing golf just six years became on overnight golfing celebrity.
Norman was drawn to play the final round with Bruce Crampton and just before they went to the tee it was announced that John Clifford from Perth had set a new course record of 67. By later afternoon Clifford’s record had been shattered when Norman signed for a 64 to win the West Lakes Classic by five shots.
It was the first of 88 pro career victories for Norman who will return to Adelaide with Jones and the LIV golfers.
“It’s going to be great heading to The Grange, as I remember playing the Aussie Amateur there in 1998 though I can’t remember too much about the golf course”, said Jones.
“I know it’s a great golf course, and I remember it being in great condition and I loved the bunkering.
“It’s just going to be amazing heading back to Adelaide as it’s been starved of big-time golf for far too long, like a lot of Australia has so to get back to South Australia and especially with the excitement of the LIV Golf format and the quality of players that will be teeing-up at The Grange is going to be incredible not only for South Australian golf but Australian golf, in general”.
Of course, there’s still no escaping it is an unprecedented pathway men’s professional golf continues to travel and with a number of court cases still to be decided if LIV players are to remain suspended from the PGA Tour or will the 13 who were subject to a recent London arbitration hearing will be allowed to compete in the DP World Tour.
Jones, and like many, is hopeful season 2023 will not be as tumultuous as the later half of 2022 and the ‘negativity’ that embraces men’s pro golf will die down and the focus will be on the LIV ‘product’.
“Hopefully, all the negativity will die down and it will be the product that is what golf fans will look to enjoy because when it all boils down, we are just professional golfers”, said Jones.
“All we are doing is just playing golf and I am doing the same thing I have done professionally for the last 15 to 20-years, and that is all I am seeking to do”.
Of course, with LIV Golfers no longer being afforded World Ranking points Jones says it’s ‘pointless’ looking, as he would have done most weeks in his double Australian Open and double PGA Tour winner career, checking his ranking.
“The world rankings mean nothing to us as they are at the moment, along with the system and how the points are distributed between the PGA Tour and the rest of the tours,” said the current World No. 121 who reached a ranking high of 41st in the world in capturing the 2014 Shell Houston Open.
“So, there’s no point in looking each week at the world rankings and the way I look it, it’s a PGA Tour ranking not a true world ranking.
“What is good news, and it can only be a benefit, is that the four bodies that administer the majors have agreed to allow those LIV players, who are currently exempt, to compete in the majors this year.
“Such a move can only at they each can still boast the strongest field in men’s golf four times a year, and such a scenario will see LIV players, PGA Tour players, DP World, Canadian Tour, Korn Ferry and Aussie tour players competing in the four biggest worldwide events.”
If you can put the controversy aside what has been noticeable at LIV golf events is the camaraderie apparent among the LIV stars and also evident at the recent Saudi event when there was the sight of Graeme McDowell and other players surprising England’s Richard Bland after one of his rounds with a 50th birthday cake.
“That is one thing I have really noticed as there is much more camaraderie among everyone on the LIV tour that I have ever experienced personally in my pro career”, said Jones.
“I’ve probably had more conversations with some of the top players out here competing than I have ever had in my life, and there is just so much more of that out here”.
