Jones – Older, Wiser & Greyer As Sydneyside Seeks To End 13-Year Honda Classic Victory Wait.

5 years ago by Comments Off on Jones – Older, Wiser & Greyer As Sydneyside Seeks To End 13-Year Honda Classic Victory Wait.

Sydney-born Matt Jones insists he’s older, wiser and also has more grey hairs in his favour to end a 13-year wait for a maiden Honda Classic victory

Jones, 40, and who led the opening round after a blistering 10-under par and career-best nine-under par 61 had dropped back into the field on day two with a 70 but then emerged with an impressive three-shot leader on day three thanks to a very mature handling of the very difficult windy conditions on the PGA National course at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida.

Jones passed the test superbly and singling out his experience of dealing with similar condtions in capturing the 2015 and 2019 Emirates Australian Open titles in his hometown and on The Australian Club where he is a member.

American Aaron Wise went out on day three leading by three shots after posting a pair of 64s and stretched his lead to seven shots after just five holes.

But after Wise bogeyed the 15th he found himself one behind Jones.

The 40-year old Jones birdied the 14th to find himself back into the lead at 10-under par and then parred his closing four in a one-under par 69 to move to 10-under par.

He heads to the last day three shots clear from the American duo of J B Holmes (67) and Wise who shot a horror 75 to be tied on seven-under par.

Jones has the one PGA Tour title on his CV and that being the 2014 Shell Houston Open and now looks to join fellow Aussies Stuart Appleby (1997) and Adam Scott (2016) as ‘Down Under’ winners of The Honda Classic.

While he also looks to make ammends in leading the 2008 Honda Classic field with a round to play.

“There’s still a long way to go,” said Jones.  “A lot of holes out here that can get you, but if I keep managing my game, hopefully I’ll have a chance coming down the last nine.

“However, playing in those Australian Opens where I won two, it was windy, so I’m quite comfortable in the wind. So, yeah, growing up in Australia we’re used to the wind and hopefully we can just keep managing the game.

“So, I’ll take whatever I get given. I mean, I don’t know if I would say I want these conditions. It’s a grind out there. It’s a battle out there. So I’ll just — we’ll see what it gives me.

“Another thing and after leading in 2008, I’ve  got a lot more experience, a lot more grey hair (smiling), and I’ve been in this situation before, so hopefully I can just draw from that and look back on that and learn from that and figure it out.”



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