Not satisfied with joining the greats of Australian golf, Matt Jones has set his sights on challenging for major championship glory in 2020.
Jones' thrilling one-shot win over Louis Oosthuizen at the Australian Open on Sunday placed the 39-year-old in an elite group of 16 Australians, including modern-day champions Greg Norman, Peter Senior, Robert Allenby, Peter Lonard and Aaron Baddeley to have had their names etched on the Stonehaven Cup multiple times.
Going back further, the likes of Peter Thomson, Norman Von Nida and Jim Ferrier have also achieved the feat, not to mention golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player at a tournament once regarded as golf's fifth major.
A second victory at The Australian Golf Club, where he's been a member since he was 15, also earned Jones a return to next year's British Open at Royal St George's.
"I've played in maybe five British Opens and it's the one major I would most like to win. To be able to do that and plan a schedule around that, will be fantastic," Jones said.
Recalling how Norman won the Open at Royal St George's in 1993 is fuelling Jones' confidence that he too can contend next July.
"From what I remember, you've got to hit a lot of good tee shots and good drivers on that golf course too and that's one of the strengths of my game now is my driving," said the US PGA Tour regular.
"And Greg was one of the best, if not the best of all time. If I can continue like that, I'll look forward to that tournament.
"I've had a good start to the year in the US. Something like this has been coming and it's very special when it's your national Open and to do it two times in a row is something that's pretty unbelievable right now.
"But I'm going to build on this. If I can play as calm on the US Tour as I did these four days, I think I'll have a very good year."
Jones made a clutch up-and-down par at the last to claim the trophy and deny Oosthuizen, who eagled the 72nd hole moments earlier, to set up a dramatic climax.
Himself the British Open champion in 2010, Oosthuizen can now add an Australian Open runner-up finish to second places at all four majors.
But he was happy enough to find some form ahead of this week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, where he will try to help Ernie Els' Interntionals beat the Tiger Woods-led USA team for the first time since 1998.
"I used this week as preparation," Oosthuizen said.
"I'll take a lot of confidence out of this and hopefully we can pull it off next week."
Australian Associated Press
