SYDNEY: Matt Jones joined an elite few as he won his second Australian Open golf Sunday, resisting big pressure on the back nine from South African Louis Oosthuizen to clinch victory by a shot.
The 39-year-old, who grew up playing at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney before taking his game to the United States, stroked a final round 69 to book a place at the 2020 Open Championship at Royal St George’s. He joins the likes of Aaron Baddeley, Jordan Spieth, and Robert Allenby among his contemporaries to have won two Stonehaven Cups. On a warm, gusty day,
he ended at 15-under for the tournament, one ahead of Oosthuizen, who warmed-up for the Presidents Cup against the Tiger Woods-led Americans in Melbourne this week with impressive form.
The world number 24 moved within two shots of Jones with back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11 and sunk a spectacular eagle on the 18th in his 66, leaving the Australian needing par to win on his last hole. Jones clipped a tree on his second shot and landed in the sand, but held his nerve to reach the green
and nail a pressure putt to claim victory.