It was the worst of nines and the best of nines for Matt Jones Sunday at the 100th playing of the Australian Open.
Fortunately, he was able to overcome the worst to win the title he so dearly coveted.
“Terribly is a very nice word for what I put on today but I got the job done,” said Jones after he lipped in a nervous three-footer at the final hole for an eight-under par total that edged Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott by a single shot.
“A lot of stress, a lot of anxious moments. Came through with that lip-in putt on the last hole.”
Stressful indeed. Jones started the final round with a three-shot lead over Spieth but started bogey-double-bogey and saw things get even worse on the nine hole when his second shot clipped a tree and found the water guarding the green. A triple-bogey nine brought Scott, Spieth and even Rod Pampling into the mix.
Pampling, who started the day 14 shots behind Jones, had the round of his lifetime, a 10-under par 61 that let him post six-under early, the number to beat. Scott was the first to top it with a birdie at the last for 67 and seven-under.
Jones settled down with four straight back-nine pars then birdied the easy par-five 14th then rolled in what would be the winning putt — a 14-footer at the difficult par four 16th.
Speith struggled mightly going out. “”I hit two greens on the front nine and probably less than nine on the day and still had a chance at the end.”
That chance came in the form of a 15-foot putt for eagle after Spieth hit what he described as “a fat three-wood” into 18 that turned out wonderfully, giving him a chance to send it into a playoff. But like most of his putts on this day, Spieth missed.
“On the weekend you’d like to start off your rounds and be able to gain some momentum,” lamented Spieth, who never played the front nine to his liking. “I just didn’t get anything going at the beginning.”
For Jones, who grew up in Sydney, it was a victory he will remember.
“To have my name on the trophy,” he said with a broad grin on his face, “it’s a dream come true for me.”
