Matt Jones wins Australian Open

Foight da power

While there were fireworks elsewhere on the course, with Rod Pampling shooting a new course record final round 61, in the final pairing it was much more cagey affair. Jones had a terrible front nine, his three shot overnight lead was gone after the first two holes, and he made a triple bogey on the ninth after dunking it in the water.

Come the 12th he’d put himself in the trees, failed to get out and ended up in the front bunker for three. But just as it looked to be all going wrong again, the US based Aussie holed out for his par.

"My bunker play is normally very good," Said Jonesy. "So I knew that if I played it off a little up slope there was a chance to hole it, worst case I was going to get an up and down, so I was only going to drop a shot.’'

On the 18th he held a one shot lead, laid up on the par five before nearly pitching it into the water, with only the wind pushing it onto the green. A nervy two putts later, and having seen Spieth miss his eagle putt, Matt Jones was the Australian Open Champion.

Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough?

Spieth could only mange a level par 71 himself. In a day when low scores were out there, Spieth was three over for his round through his first six holes. Three birdies and a bogey later, Spieth stood  on the 18th one over, and two behind. With Jones laying up, Spieth nailed his second on to the green in two to about 16 ft. However, his putting wasn’t to his usual standard and he missed the eagle that would have forced a playoff.

The same couldn’t be said for Adam Scott. The man with the swing we wish we all had shot a final round 65 with the short putter. While he may not be as consistent yet with his new flatstick, it looks like ‘Scotty Too Hotty' won’t be leaving the top of the leaderboards anytime soon. There’s no reason he can’t go on to add to his lone Masters win if this performance is anything to go by.

Rod Pampling finished a further shot back, but considering he was 14 shots behind at the start of the day, and had only managed 71, 72, 73 in the first three rounds, his 61 was an absolute joy to behold. Starting three hours before the leaders, and making a bogey down the first, the 46 year old made nine birdies before holing an outrageous 60 footer on 18 for an eagle. With it he has qualified for next years Open Championship along with Matt Jones, and Nick Cullen.