Matt Jones has followed in the footsteps of boyhood idol and fellow Australian Greg Norman to claim victory in the Australian Open in Sydney.
Jones, 35 fought back from a horror start to his final round by dropping three shots in his opening two holes and also taking a triple boyey at the ninth on the Australian Club course.
The local Oyster Bay born Jones, who had been a junior member at the Australian Club, managed to find some pearly form to record a final round two over par 73 and win by a shot with an eight under par tally and finish just a shot clear of World No. 1 and defending champion Jordan Spieth.
Spieth missed a 15-foot eagle putt at the last that would have sent the event into a play-off and with his round of 71 seeing his share second place at seven under par with Australia’s Adam Scott whose round of 65 was the second lowest on the last day.
“I am just so happy to have my name on this trophy and it is something I have thought about since I first met Greg when I was six year of age,” said Jones.
“I tried hard not to think about that this week and you never know what sort of day you can have on the gofl course as we saw with what happened over my front nine.
Matt Jones proudly holds aloft the Stonehaven Trophy (Photo – Anthony Powter/www.golfgrinder.com)
“But to have my name on this trophy with the likes of (Jack) Nicklaus, (Jack) Newton, (Greg) Norman and so many greats of this game is a dream come true for me knowing now I am an Australian Open winner and it’s something that cannot be taken away from me.”
Jones also earned a place into next July’s Open Championship at Royal Troon in finishing the leading qualifier.
However it had been a tense last few seconds for the now Arizona-based Jones as Speith, and the defending champion, attempted to force the play-off in the 100th staging of the championship.
Spieth’s eagle putt slid by the hole before the double Major winner ended with a birdie before again showing singing the praise of his good friend who he had played a practice round with ahead of the event.
“I would have been pretty excited to be in a play-off with Matt as that would have added to this week as the crowds have just been unbelievable this week and much bigger than last year,” said Spieth.
“But for Matt to win is well deserved and he played the best golf this week, and if you take away those few holes where he dropped shots he would have won by four or five shots.
“As for myself, you want to start the weekend rounds with strong momentum and I just didn’t manage to do that on both days but then still had a chance there at the last, so that is very frustrating to just shoot one under of the final two days.”
Spieth now heads to his second tournament defence in succession and Thursday’s starting Tiger Woods hosted Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
At the conclusion to the Bahamas event Spieth will take a well-earned month-long asbsence before resuming competition at the January 7th, 2016 commencing Tournament of Champions at Maui in Hawaii.
“It has been a long season but then it’s also been a very triumphant year but then I only wish I would have taken more time during last year off season,” he said.
“It was tough this year the way the dates fell but I am going to really try hard and soak-in as much as I can as from the end of next week to heading out to Hawaii will be the longest break I will have had this year.”
Joining Jones at next year’s 145th Open Championship will be fellow Australians Rod Pampling and Nick Cullen.
Pampling came from 14 shots back at the start of his last round to shoot a new course record of 10-under 61, and in a round that began with a bogey and ended when he holed a 60-foot eagle, to be fourth at six under par.
And joining Jones and Pampling at Royal Troon is fellow Australian Nick Cullen who shot a last day 68 to share fifth place at three under par.
