Matt Jones wins a dramatic 2015 Emirates Australian Open
Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Rod Pampling couldn’t stop Matt Jones from winning the 2015 Australian Open.
Matt Jones has etched his name onto the Stonehaven Cup after winning the 2015 Emirates Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.
A dramatic, roller-coaster round of golf from Matt Jones culminated in the Sydney-sider holding off a determined Jordan Spieth on the last hole to secure the victory.
After Jones found the fairway bunker off the tee and laying up for his second shot, Spieth didn’t like the look of his 3-wood approach shot. Dropping the club and mouthing off about the “fat shot” he hit, the ball came in over the water protected green and settled 15-feet from the hole. Spieth looked as surprised as anyone by the result.
Jones also wasn’t happy with his approach shot. He too dropped his club as the ball flirted with the water, but landed safely on the green.
When Spieth’s eagle-putt missed that would have tied Jones at 8-under par, Jones needed to make his second putt a four-footer to make par and win his country’s national golf tournament.
And he only just, just… curled it in.
THE MOMENT!! #AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/h2xQ1d29Ur
— Australian Open Golf (@AusOpenGolf) November 29, 2015
It wasn’t an easy victory for the Sydney-born Jones who had to battle hard to secure a one stroke victory ahead of the world number one golfer Jordan Spieth and a resurgent Adam Scott.
Jones took a three-shot lead into the final round but it quickly disappeared with bogey, double-bogey on his first two holes. Spieth didn’t fair much better, also dropping two strokes in his opening two holes.
If both players assumed they could just hold on to win the tournament, a sensational, course record 10-under par 61 from Rod Pampling meant that whoever wanted to win the Australian Open needed to get home with a score of 6-under or better. Remarkably Pampling’s round started with a bogey at the first hole but finished with an eagle at the 18th sending the strong gallery into raptures.
A surging Adam Scott did his best to attack the golf course and the tournament. Scott carded seven birdies on his way to a 6-under par 65 to give himself the clubhouse lead at 7-under par and a real shot at winning his second Australian Open title.
When Jones stumbled for triple-bogey at the par-4 9th hole, it looked like anyone’s tournament but an incredible turn of fortune on the 12th hole saw Jones steady and reaffirm his grip on the tournament.
After finding the rough off the tee, his second shot hit the tree and his third found the greenside bunker. Facing an almost certain bogey or worse, Jones holed an incredible bunker shot that kick started his round back into gear and his confidence.
Matt Jones holes his bunker shot to stay in the lead! #AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/YDtKg22gAR
— Australian Open Golf (@AusOpenGolf) November 29, 2015