Sunday 8 December 2019 11:18, UK
Matt Jones held firm to hold off a fast-finishing Louis Oosthuizen to win his second Australian Open title in four years by one shot in Sydney.
The Australian, who started the day with a three-shot advantage, appeared in complete command, before there was late drama as major champion Oosthuizen finished with an eagle to draw within a shot of his lead.
Jones clipped a tree with his second shot to the par-five closing hole and landed in a bunker, but made a four-foot par putt to clinch victory at the Australian Golf Club, where he is a member and won in 2015.
"I was under the assumption he was on a different score so I let my guard down and relaxed a little," Jones said. "Then I saw what the score was and that chip became a little tougher.
"The chip wasn't that difficult, it was leaning down-grain so I could just get it over the bunker and let it release a little. It was a pretty easy par but I made it more difficult than it had to be."
Japanese amateur Takumi Kanaya finished tied for third with Australian Aaron Pike on nine under to join Jones in qualifying for next year's Open Championship at Royal St George's.
Jones, who is based in Arizona, joins the likes of Jordan Spieth and fellow Australian pair Aaron Baddeley and Robert Allenby to have won two Stonehaven Cups.
Oosthuizen, who will be part of the International Team up against a Tiger Woods-led American side in Melbourne side this week, pushed Jones all the way with a final-round five under 66.
The world No 24 moved within two shots of Jones with back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11 before an excellent eagle on the 18th forced an exciting conclusion.
"I think coming on the back nine I just wanted to try and get some numbers up there so that he's a little bit under pressure, but he did really well," said Oosthuizen, who was playing on Australian soil for the first time this week.
England's Paul Casey, the highest-ranked player in the field at world No 14, finished with a one-over 72 to tie for fifth among a group of five, while Mexico's defending champion Abraham Ancer ended 14 shots off the pace.
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