Matt Jones of Australia lines up a putt on the 3rd green during day three of the 2015 Australian Open.
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Australian Jones had three bogeys on the front nine as well with playing conditions tough at the Australian Golf Club, but six birdies kept him out in front as his round of 68 left him 10 under overall.
The final round shaped as a battle in two before Jones and Spieth made horror starts on Sunday to invite the chasing pack back into the tournament.
“I have played it the last two years and to be able to qualify this early on means I can schedule around it and get ready for it”, said Jones.
“It’s a dream come true for me and something I can’t have taken away from me”.
World number one Spieth, who believes his win the previous year was a springboard to his two majors wins last term, had a look at an eagle putt on the last to force a play-off, but was unable to convert the chance.
Spieth wasn’t quite as good this time around as he shot a final-round 71 to lose by one to Australian Matt Jones at the Australian Open.
“Not really, I could have given him one though (for) getting wet on the 14th”, he said, referring to the fact Williams didn’t have an umbrella ready when a brief shower hit the course.
“It’s not about a match-play mindset at all”, Jones said. “Hopefully I haven’t peaked yet, I know I can hit it better than I did today and if I can get a few more putts we’ll have a good day tomorrow”.
“I had a couple of Bundies (Bundaberg rum)”, Pampling said after the round.
Jones grew up in Oyster Bay in Sydney’s southern suburbs and graduated from The Australian Golf Club’s pennant team, leaving Australia more than a decade ago to take up a golf scholarship in the U.S., then turning professional.
The 35-year-old Australian dropped three shots by going bogey-double bogey on the first two holes but Spieth also bogeyed them as the final group dropped back towards the pack.
Nick Cullen and Lincoln Tighe were tied for fifth at three under, a shot ahead of Terry Pilkadaris.
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Like last year, when he birdied five of the last six holes to finish tied for second, his extraordinary late charge this year (he finished 4th) has allowed him to again claim one of the three spots available for next year’s British Open.
