Matt Jones beats Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth in Australian Open

Adam Scott salutes after his round.

It came after he failed to make a birdie in his Friday round and Scott said he couldn’t recall the last time that had happened.

Spieth’s 63 close-out round and subsequent Australian Open win on the same day 12 months ago created an worldwide golfing incident as the American phenomenon used the ammunition it gave him to take over the sport. Scott birdied the par-5 18th, but Jones’ par on the same hole was good enough to win. “To go up against the number one in the world is going to be a lot of fun”, said Jones, a member of the host club and victor of a single US PGA title.

Scott is actually winless in 18 months – his last tournament victory at the Colonial in Texas came a week after he became No. 1 in May 2014.

“Players have always heard that they need to square the club through impact, but for many amateurs, it means that they turn the handle way too much – especially on short shots”, says top NY teacher Michael Jacobs, who is based at the X Golf School at Rock Hill Country Club in Manorville. He managed a 65, and held the clubhouse lead for a while.

Spieth missed a long eagle putt at the last that would have forced a play-off.

Scott and Spieth tied for runner-up position with Rod Pampling 4th and Nick Cullen and first round leader, Lincoln Tighe, sharing 5th.

After starting 3 over through the first two holes, Jones made birdies on the fourth and sixth holes.

“I made a couple of bad swings and a couple of bad decisions”, Spieth said. I’m sure I’ll be noticed a little more walking around a street maybe in Australia or at the horse races next weekend, but I’m just happy to have my name on this trophy.

Spieth had picked Jones as one of the danger men here before the tournament began, and Jones is enjoying proving him right. “I was trying to hit a high fade kind of let the wind snag it, so when you hit it at the ball sometimes, it actually kind of knuckles through the wind”. “But for Matt to win is well deserved”.

Bourdy hit four consecutive birdies before a triple-bogey on the par three seventh hit his challenge, despite a mini-recovery late on when he claimed birdies on the 15th and 16th.