Matt Jones outlasts Spieth to win Australian Open

Matt Jones knows he has to do something special to beat the world’s best golfer, even though he and Jordan Spieth will battle on Jones’ home turf of The Australian Golf Club in the final round of the Australian Open on Sunday. However, Spieth, who shot a final-round 63 on this course past year to win in similar conditions as the first two days, believes he can play spoiler.

Australian veteran Rod Pampling, who had a course-record 61, was fourth, two strokes behind Jones.

Jones recorded a birdie on the 16th hole and than put him back into the sole lead.

“You want to remember the putts you made and kind of the rhythm you were in and feeding off the crowd, but at the same time you can’t expect to have that kind of a round”, he said.

Pampling would have to cancel his flight – and the bookies dramatically reel in their odds – as the 46-year-old produced one of the greatest single-round performances in the Australian Open’s 100-year history. 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.

Australian Rhein Gibson was in 3rd after a 68, 5 behind Jones.

“I’ve played a very heavy back end of the year”, he said.

“I just told him, that was one of the best fought wins I’ve ever seen, to come through what he did on two, nine and then that par he made on twelve”, Spieth told reporters.

Pampling was just two strokes adrift of Jones when he finished his scintillating round and, in an extraordinary twist, sharing the lead after Jones chalked up a triple-bogey seven on the ninth after landing in the water and three-putting after taking his penalty drop.

However, it was a tense last few minutes as defending champion Spieth attempted to force a play-off, but his eagle putt slid by the hole with the two-time major victor ending with a birdie.

“At four-over to start the day and catching a chunk of bark with a four iron on the first I thought “I just can’t get anything going”, Pampling said of his 10-under-par round.

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.

Pampling’s reward for the round of his life was qualification for next year’s Open as one of the top three finishers not already exempt.