Matt Jones held on to win the Australian Open despite a nervy final round Sunday, while Jordan Spieth failed to duplicate last year’s final round 63.
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Overnight leader Jones watched Spieth’s eagle shot from the 16th tee and responded by birdying his final two holes to card a three-under-par 68, moving to 10-under for the tournament and finishing three strokes clear of his American rival. That was the first time the course had played as a par-71.
On the par-5 18th, Jones dropped his club in disgust, thinking his third shot had landed short in the water hazard guarding the green.
On Saturday, he was three-over through four holes and shot the day’s best round, a 67, “one of the best-fought rounds that I’ve had that I can remember”, he said.
Pampling had a mid-morning start because his 54-hole total of four-over was 14 strokes off the lead.
“Terribly’s a very nice word after what I put on today, but I got the job done as you said”, said Jones after his start had been described as awful.
Jones recovered with two birdies but a triple-bogey seven on the ninth left him with work to do on the back nine.
“I tried hard not to think about that this week and you never know what sort of day you can have on the golf course as we saw with what happened over my front nine”.
However, in the end, Jones played 1-under golf the rest of the way, sinking a 4-foot par putt on the last hole to secure his first Australian Open title.
“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.
Bidding to become the first worldwide player since the legendary Jack Nicklaus in 1976 to win back-to-back Open crowns, Spieth at one point trailed Jones by eight shots before setting up what shapes as a grandstand finish to the 100th Open.
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This year, Pampling finished in fourth place with a 6-under 278, but he’s at least qualified for next July’s British Open at Royal Troon for being among the top three finishers here who were not already exempt. I’m sure I’ll be noticed a little more walking around a street maybe in Australia or at the horse races next weekend, but I’m just happy to have my name on this trophy.
