Jones wins second Open in a thriller
GOLF: Matt Jones won his second Australian Open crown yesterday in a dramatic finale on his home course in Sydney.
Jones, 39, made a clutch up-and-down par at the last to claim a one-stroke victory over South African Louis Oosthuizen, who eagled the 72nd hole to set up a thrilling climax.
Champion in 2015 at The Australian Golf Club, where he’s been a member since he was 15, Jones finished at 15-under par for the tournament after closing with a 69.
Jones looked like winning in a procession before Oosthuizen’s late heroics.
Like a Sunday afternoon stroll, Jones casually walked the fairways hand in hand with his wife, a former Miss Idaho, and seven-year-old daughter, Sabre, as he watched his challengers come and go for most of the day.
But matters turned dicey when Oosthuizen suddenly cut Jones’ lead to one and the Australian found a bunker off the tee on 18.
Unable to find the fairway from the trap, he left his approach 10m short and had to hole a 1.5m putt to become the 19th multiple winner of the Open. Oosthuizen closed with a 66 to finish outright second.
The win earned Jones a British Open start next year at Royal St George’s.
“I’ve played in maybe five British Opens and it’s the one major I would most like to win. To be able to do that and plan a schedule around that will be fantastic,” Jones said.
Queenslander Aaron Pike (69) also punched his ticket to the 2020 Open after sharing third spot with Japanese amateur Takumi Kanaya (71). Darren Walton