Matt Jones is relishing a final-round duel for the Stonehaven Cup with world No1 and defending champion Jordan Spieth after retaining control of the Australian Open. Not even a blistering back-nine charge from Spieth, highlighted by a spectacular eight-iron hole-out from 165 metres for an eagle two on the 17th, was enough to knock Jones off his perch on Saturday.
After a horror start in which he dropped three shots in the first four holes, Spieth blitzed his last 10 holes in seven under par to fire a day’s-best 67 to move to seven under for the championship. But Jones, a lifelong member of The Australian Golf Club, finished with his own flurry with back-to-back birdies in a 68 to surge to 10 under.
The two US PGA stars will go head-to-head in the final pairing but Jones vowed not to get bogged down in any Sunday shootout with the reigning Masters and US Open champion. “It’s not match play at all. It’s me sticking to a game plan, managing the course and just giving myself opportunities,” Jones said. “If I go out and shoot two or three under tomorrow, I’m going to be very tough to beat. So it’s in my hands.”
Spieth acknowledged as much but said ominously that he was peaking for the final round and would draw confidence from his course-record 63 he shot last year to run away with the Stonehaven Cup. “If he shoots something amazing like last year and beats me, that’s what I’ll have to deal with,” Jones said. “I’m very comfortable with where I am and I’m looking forward to it.”
"I’m just happy to be in the final group and leading the tournament with a chance to win. There’s no better player to beat on the final day and to have him in the group and to go up against the world No1 is going to be a lot of fun.”
Bidding to become the first international player since the legendary Jack Nicklaus in 1976 to win back-to-back Open crowns, Spieth at one point trailed Jones by eight shots before setting up what shapes as a grandstand finish to the 100th Open. Rhein Gibson (68) is five shots off the lead in outright third with Lincoln Tighe (70) and Aron Price (70) six back in equal fourth.
Former champion Geoff Ogilvy (71) is at three under, while Adam Scott is all but out of contention despite carding a 68 on Saturday. Scott eagled the last hole to join Brett Rumford (69), Northern Irishman Darren Clarke (70) and Todd Sinnott (74) at one under and among just 10 players in red figures.
Victorian Anthony Brown provided an early third-round highlight with a hole in one. His beautifully struck five iron on the 198-metre second hole lit up the Open on an otherwise gloomy morning at The Australian. But the 33-year-old’s sixth ace of his career failed to ignite his round as he finished with a three-over 74 to be seven over for the championship, a distant 17 shots behind Jones.
