Matt Jones is the 2015 Australian Open champion, producing his biggest tournament triumph on home soil at the club where he played pennant golf as a teenager, The Australian.
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He smashed the previous course record of 63 at The Australian set by Spieth during the final round past year while winning the Open by six strokes, when Pampling was runner-up.
Australian Rhein Gibson was in third after a 68, five behind.
England’s Lee Westwood carded his best round of the tournament – a two-under 69 – to finish tied for 18th on two under, while a 76 from Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke left him joint 30th on four over.
The Sydney-born player regrouped to record a final round two over par 73 and claim the honours with an eight under par 276 total. “But either way it’s a lot better than it was through the first four holes”.
This year, Pampling finished in fourth place with a six-under 278, but he has qualified for the British Open at Royal Troon in July next year for being among the top three finishers who were not already exempt.
The 35-year-old Arizona-based Jones, who is chasing only a second pro career victory, was on the 16th fairway when he saw Spieth eagle the 17th and he responded with birdies also at 17 as well as the last.
“That was very stressful, it wasn’t comfortable out there for me”, an emotional Jones, the world No. 81, said after receiving the Stonehaven Cup for the first time. “I could have let it slip and let it get away easily, but I ground it out”.
“It’s one Major I would love to win, it’s one Major that I think suits my golf game the best”.
Spieth had a roller-coaster of a front nine in which he bogeyed three of his first four holes and birdied the next two before finishing the front nine with a bogey and a birdie – just two pars going out.
“To have my name on this trophy with like (Jack) Nicklaus, (Jack) Newton, Norman, all those guys, it’s a dream come true for me and it’s something that I can’t have taken away from me”.
“You never know how they’re going to finish up but at least I clawed into red figures and start tomorrow hopeful of something special”.
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“I struck it nicely, there’s not too much room to land it up there”. I was more looking at trying to give it a chance but make sure I was a chance to still make the birdie.
