Matt Jones holds his nerve to win second Australian Open

Australia World

Updated December 08, 2019 18:36:42

Local hope Matt Jones has held off a challenge from South African Louis Oosthuizen to clinch his second Australian Open title with a one-stroke triumph at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.

Key points:

  • Matt Jones’s victory adds to the Australian Open crown he won in 2015
  • Louis Oosthuizen posted an eagle on the par-five 18th hole, which cut Jones’s lead to one stroke
  • Jones earns a start at next year’s British Open as a result of his triumph in Sydney

Jones, who was born in Sydney, led the field into today’s final round and refused to buckle under the pressure to post a 2-under-par 69 to finish the tournament on 15-under.

Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, landed an eagle on the par-five 18th hole to cut back Jones’s lead to one stroke, but the Australian held his nerve to make par and claim victory in a dramatic finale.

Jones also lifted the Stonehaven Cup in 2015 and he looked like winning in a procession this afternoon before Oosthuizen’s late heroics.

Like an afternoon stroll in the park, Jones casually walked the fairways hand in hand with his wife and daughter, as he watched his challengers come and go for most of the day.

But matters turned dicey when Oosthuizen suddenly cut his lead to one and Jones found a bunker off the tee on 18.

Unable to re-find the fairway from the trap, he left his approach 10 metres short and had to hole a five-foot putt to become the 19th multiple winner of the Open and first since American superstar Jordan Spieth three years ago.

But unlike when he held on grimly to deny Spieth and Adam Scott by a shot four years ago, Jones was not threatened until the death this time around.

His overnight three-stroke lead was never trimmed to anything less than two shots until he walked to the 18th hole.

He had one hand on the Stonehaven Cup after stretching his advantage to four, having negotiated the front nine in even-par.

After successive birdies on the 13th and 14th holes, Jones could afford a bogey on 15 and still edge out Oosthuizen, who closed with a 66 to finish outright second.

Victory also earned Jones a British Open start next year at Royal St George’s, where Greg Norman won the Claret Jug in 1993 for a second time.

“I’ve played in maybe five British Opens and it’s the one major I would most like to win,” Jones said.

“To be able to do that and plan a schedule around that, will be fantastic.

“I played Royal St George’s back in 2014 when Rory won and I liked it, so I’m looking forward to getting back there.”

Queenslander Aaron Pike (69) also punched his ticket to the 2020 British Open after sharing third spot with Japanese amateur Takumi Kanaya (71).

ABC/AAP

Topics: sport, golf, rosebery-2018

First posted December 08, 2019 17:19:08