Australian Open winner Jones targets Olympic spot

GOLF: Dual Australian Open champion Matt Jones wants to represent Australia at next year’s Olympics.

Jones won his second national title on Sunday – both coming at The Australian Golf Club – holding off the challenge of South Africa’s Louis

Oosthuizen by one shot.

After becoming just the 19th multiple winner of the Open, the 39-year-old is keen to become an Olympian in Tokyo, having rejected the opportunity to participate in Rio.

“I had to skip it last time because I was trying to keep my tour card. If I had the opportunity again, I’d definitely love to represent Australia and play in the Olympics,” he told RSN.

Before then, Jones will aim to add a major championship to his list of achievements, which includes a PGA Tour victory in 2014.

He gets his chance at Royal St George’s, having earned a return to the British Open.

“Any time you get a chance to play in a major is pretty special, but especially so when it’s the British Open,” the Sydneysider said.

“If I had to choose to win one major one.”

Jones revealed that a moment of miscommunication on Sunday almost proved costly as he came to the closing hole at the Australian Open.

He had wrongly been informed that Oosthuizen made it would be that par on the 18th, when the South African had made eagle to close to within a stroke.

“I wasn’t too pleased when I found out the situation, because I played the hole differently than I normally would have under different circumstances,” Jones said.