Matt Jones of Australia lines up a putt on the 3rd green during day three of the 2015 Australian Open.
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Former champion Geoff Ogilvy (71) is in sixth place on three-under, while local favourite Adam Scott is in a tie for seventh at one-under.
Spieth’s strong finish left him closer than he had expected to be after that nightmare start, though he admitted he had been hoping for more after the eagle-birdie finish, only to see Jones pick up shots on the last two holes as well.
Veteran Rod Pampling is playing a waiting game after firing a course-record 10-under-par 61 to seize the clubhouse lead in an action-packed start to the final round of the Australian Open in Sydney. He kick-started his round with a first hole birdie managing three other birdies but also back-to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th.
“There was a lot of stress and a lot of anxious moments out there, but came through with a lip in putt on the last to get the trophy, which was nice”. After sleeping on a three-stroke advantage, Jones’ nerves almost got the better of him, but the Aussie collected the hardware at The Australian Golf Club in Rosebery today.
Joining Jones at next year’s 145th British Open Championship will be fellow Australians Pampling and Nick Cullen.
“I felt nice and relaxed out there”, he told reporters.
At the Australian Open alone, a pair of horror bogeys in the first round meant he needed four birdies on the back nine to salvage par and he made the cut despite a second round in which he failed to once beat par.
Culllen mixed five birdies and four bogeys in his final round 68 but an eagle on the par five 14th hole helped him move to three-under-par for the championship.
The Texan, whose success has been so recent that he has only previously defended one title, hit a course record 63 to win the tournament past year but said he would be putting memories of that brilliant round to the back of his mind on Sunday.
Scott, who was also nine strokes behind after the second round, said he still felt he has a chance to win on Sunday, which would be his second Australian Open title after winning in 2009.
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Two shots back from FedEx Cup victor Spieth is Rhein Gibson, while in a share of fourth place at 4-under was Aron Price and first-round leader Lincoln Tighe. “I feel like I’ve still got the best golf yet, to be played. that’s what’s positive”, he said.
