Tag: Matt Jones

Watch: Matt Jones sends putter flying into a lake at Bay Hill after bad birdie stroke

After a poor stroke on birdie putt, Matt Jones goes full “Happy Gilmore” and sails the offending putter into the water.

Sometimes a putter just needs to be sent to the depths in any nearby water hazard. Completely normal there, following one too many badly missed putts. But after a par?

Apparently, Matt Jones wasn’t consoled by making par after missing an 8-foot birdie attempt and tossing his flat stick into a lake on the 11th hole at Bay Hill during Saturday’s third round of the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando.

“Matt a little frustrated there,” announcer Steve Sands said. “Did you hear what he said? He said, ‘I’m done, I’ve had enough of it.’ ”

Jones wasn’t having much of a week on the greens, and through 15 holes was -2.062 in strokes gained putting for the third round. The stroke that sent him over the edge was particularly weak, missing wide left and barely long enough to have reached the cup on No. 11. After tapping in one-handed for the par, Jones did a full “Happy Gilmore” and sent the putter flying into the drink.

API: Leaderboard | Photos | PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ | Bay Hill drone shots

Jones was 1 over par in his round at the time and was forced to switch to putting with a wedge. His round didn’t get any better with a double bogey on the 15th. Jones ranks 115th on Tour in putting this season with a -0.051 strokes gained average.

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Joaquin Niemann, defending champion Matt Jones among notable names to miss the cut at Honda Classic

Newly named U.S. Ryder Cup captain also among big names missing the weekend.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – With the wind down for the most part the first two days of the Honda Classic, the rugged Champion Course at PGA National Resort wasn’t flashing its teeth and taking chunks out of the players’ scorecards.

Even at the treacherous Bear Trap.

Still, the course wasn’t a pitch-and-putt and played difficult enough to send many players home after the first round spilled into Friday and the second round will conclude Saturday morning with one player remaining to finish.

While Daniel Berger set the pace with consecutive rounds of 65 to move to 10 under, the not-yet official cut will come in at 2-over 142.

Those who will make the cut on the number include Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter, Ryan Palmer, and Curtis Thompson, who on Thursday became the first to eagle the par-4 sixth hole since the Honda Classic moved to the Champion Course in 2007.

Also at 2 over was Andrew Kozan, who elected not to finish his round when play was suspended due to darkness at 6:37 p.m. ET. While his two playing partners decided to finish, Kozan was in the middle of the fairway on 18 and is 258 yards from the pin on the par-5 finisher.

If he makes par or better, 73 players will make the cut.

Among those who will not play two more rounds were two players who have won two major championships, a past Masters champion, the defending champion, and last week’s champion.

Here are the notables that missed the 36-hole cut.

Data proves it: KJ Jefferson had best first-year as starter in modern Arkansas history

Of the 14 first-year starters Arkansas has had since 2002, KJ Jefferson checks in above some legendary names.

To say KJ Jefferson’s first season as a starter in college football was a success is a bit of an understatement.

The sophomore went from being ranked as the No. 14 quarterback in the SEC to arguably the No. 3. He completed 184 of 275 passes for 2,578 yards with 21 touchdowns and three interceptions. He ran for another 554 yards and five touchdowns on 126 carries.

Most importantly, he led Arkansas to an 8-4 regular-season record – its best since 2011 – and an appearance in the Outback Bowl.

Determining a placing for where he ranks is impossible. Too many factors to consider. So we’ll try our best. And, alas, not with all Arkansas quarterbacks. Let’s limit the scope to Arkansas quarterbacks of the last 20 years in their first year as starter. Going before that is a disservice to both parties because of how much the game has changed.

So here they are, comparisons of each Arkansas first-year starter since 2002.

Winner’s Bag: Matt Jones, Honda Classic

A complete list of the golf equipment Matt Jones used to win the PGA Tour’s 2021 Honda Classic.

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A complete list of the golf equipment Matt Jones used to win the PGA Tour’s 2021 Honda Classic:

DRIVER: Titleist TSi2 (10 degrees), with Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X shaft

FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist TSi3 (16.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Kuro Kage Dual TiNi 80 TX shaft

IRONS: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi (2), Titleist 712MB (4-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (52, 56 degrees), SM8 (58 degrees bent to 60), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

PUTTER: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS prototype

BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

GRIPS: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

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Matt Jones takes bite out of Bear Trap with Honda Classic win

Matt Jones earned his second PGA Tour win on Sunday, claiming the Honda Classic in convincing fashion.

Matt Jones began the week with a 61, entered the final round of the Honda Classic with a three-shot lead and is leaving with the trophy after a strong finish.

The 40-year-old Australian earned his second win on the PGA Tour on Sunday, carding a stress-free 2-under 68 to claim the title at 12 under on the challenging Champion course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Jones began the day with birdies on the first and third holes, ultimately making the turn at 1 under after a bogey on the par-3 7th. Following a bogey on No. 11, Jones took a five-shot lead with consecutive birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. He immediately gave a shot back with a bogey on No. 14.

Honda Classic: Leaderboard | Photos

After the hiccup, Jones took a bite out of the Bear Trap — holes 15-17 at the Champion course — with a pair of pars surrounding a birdie on No. 16.

Jones previously won the Shell Houston Open in 2014 in a playoff against Matt Kuchar, as well as the Australian Open in 2015 and 2019.

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Matt Jones rallies, Aaron Wise unravels on Saturday at Honda Classic at PGA National

Matt Jones glanced at a leaderboard on Saturday and saw he was six shots back. “Six back means nothing on this golf course,” he said.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Matt Jones glanced at a leaderboard at the seventh hole and saw he had fallen six shots behind Aaron Wise in Saturday’s third round of the Honda Classic.

Jones wasn’t the last bit worried.

“Six back means nothing on this golf course,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how big your lead is or how small your lead is, anything can happen on this golf course.”

A lot certainly happened on Saturday, when windy conditions from the north and tougher pin positions brought out the best – and worst – of the Champion course at PGA National.

By the time Jones walked off the 14th hole, he was tied for the lead as Wise unraveled. By the end of the third round, Jones had a three-shot lead over Wise and J.B. Holmes at 10-under 200.

Jones’ 1-under 69 was the only sub-par round among the final 12 groups – the other 11 players were a combined 39-over.

The Bear Trap allowed only nine birdies combined on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes. Jones said he didn’t even aim for the greens on those holes.

“They’re not birdie holes at all,” Jones said. “They’re just don’t-make-the-biggest-mistakes holes. I managed to play them even par, which is great.”

HONDA CLASSIC: Tee times, TV info | Leaderboard | Photos

After Wise opened with consecutive 64s and played his first four holes in two-under Saturday, it looked like he was turning the Honda Classic into a runaway with the six-shot lead.

Then his game crashed. He double bogeyed the par-4 sixth hole after missing a 3-foot putt, and things continued downhill. He played his last 13 holes in 7-over and staggered away after a 75 to drop to 7-under.

From up six to three back, in less than 2½ hours.

“No shock, nothing like that,” Wise said. “I just ran into a really hard golf course and I was a little off my game. It was a rough day.”

Aaron Wise
Aaron Wise tees off on the 4th hole during the third round of the Honda Classic. (Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

Wise wasn’t happy when he – not his group – got put on the clock at the 10th hole for slow play. But he insisted it had no role in his back-nine 39, ending with a bogey on the 18th hole after he couldn’t find his hooked tee shot.

“I didn’t think it was necessarily a fair thing that happened, but it happened, and it is what it is,” he said. “We’ll move on from there.”

Jones, who shot a course-record-tying 61in the first round, caught Wise when he almost jarred his approach at the par-4 14th. When Wise bogeyed the 15th hole after hitting his approach into a bunker, Jones had the lead alone for the first time since Thursday.

“Growing up in Australia, I’m quite comfortable in the wind,” said Jones, who has won a PGA Tour event and two Australian Opens. “I just play a little safer. I don’t go at the pins.”

J.B. Holmes, one of the game’s longest hitters, shot a second consecutive 67 to put him in position to win his sixth PGA Tour title. He made five birdies against two bogeys.

“Really, I didn’t miss an iron shot on the back side,” Holmes said. “It was playing very difficult, there wasn’t a lot of room for error.”

Holmes has had some success in South Florida. He took a five-shot lead into the final round of the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral near Miami, but was overtaken by Dustin Johnson on Sunday.

C.T. Pan’s 65 – the low round of the day – moved him 38 spots up the leaderboard into fourth place at 6-under. He’s tied with Cameron Tringale (69) and Sam Ryder (72).

Keegan Bradley had a brilliant round derailed by a double bogey at the 15th hole. His 67 has him tied for seventh at 5-under with defending champion Sungjae Im (69), former major champions Zach Johnson (70) and Stewart Cink (70), Brice Garnett (70) and Robert Streb (70).

Jones had the lead at the 2008 Honda Classic as a rookie until he double-bogeyed the 17th hole in the final round. He knows how hard it will be to finish the job Sunday when conditions are expected to be similar to Saturday’s.

“I’ve got a long way to go,” Jones said. “A lot of holes out here that can get you. If I keep managing my game, hopefully I’ll have a chance coming down the last nine.”

As Jones said, a three-shot lead means nothing here. We saw Saturday how quickly a six-shot lead can disappear on the Champion course.

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The Honda Classic live stream, TV channel, start time, live coverage, how to watch

The third round of The Honda Classic will take place on Saturday afternoon from PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The third round of The Honda Classic will take place on Saturday afternoon from PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The field is stacked this year and will include some of the best golfers in the world. We’ll see Lee Westwood, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, and more.

Aaron Wise is currently leading the Honda Classic at 12 under with Brandon Hagy and Matt Jones right on his heels at 9 under. (1:40 p.m. ET)

Here is everything you need on how, when, and where to watch The Honda Classic this afternoon and the whole weekend.

The Honda Classic, Third Round

  • When: Saturday, March 20
  • Live Coverage: 1 – 3 p.m. ET on Golf Channel
  • Live Coverage: 3 – 6 p.m. ET on NBC
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Featured Groups, Saturday

8:45 a.m. ET: Ryan Armour, Pat Perez
9:45 a.m. ET: Phil Mickelson, C.T. Pan
11:10 a.m. ET: Rickie Fowler, Keith Mitchell
1:05 p.m. ET: Harry Higgs, Brice Garnett

2021 Honda Classic, Third Round tee times

Tee No. 1 (All times ET)

8:15 a.m. – Kiradech Aphibarnrat,Chase Seiffert
8:25 a.m. – Mark Hubbard, Beau Hossler
8:35 a.m. – Ted Potter, Jr., Talor Gooch
8:45 a.m. – Ryan Armour, Pat Perez
8:55 a.m. – Stephen Stallings, Jr., Jim Herman
9:05 a.m. – Vincent Whaley, Satoshi Kodaira
9:15 a.m. – Roger Sloan, Mackenzie Hughes
9:25 a.m. – Erik van Rooyen, Tom Lewis
9:35 a.m. – Nate Lashley, Jhonattan Vegas
9:45 a.m. – Phil Mickelson, C.T. Pan
9:55 a.m. – Charl Schwartzel, D.J. Trahan
10:05 a.m. – Alex Noren, Lucas Herbert
10:20 a.m. – Chris Kirk, Bronson Burgoon
10:30 a.m. – Matthew NeSmith, Tyler McCumber
10:40 a.m. – John Huh, Brendan Steele
10:50 a.m. – Sepp Straka, Chase Koepka
11:00 a.m. – Brian Gay, William McGirt
11:10 a.m. – Keith Mitchell, Rickie Fowler
11:20 a.m. – Adam Schenk, Keegan Bradley
11:30 a.m. – Jimmy Walker, Lucas Glover
11:40 a.m. – Steve Stricker, Adam Hadwin
11:50 a.m. – Cameron Davis, Michael Thompson
12:00 p.m. – Kevin Chappell, Harold Varner III
12:15 p.m. – Joaquin Niemann, Jason Dufner
12:25 p.m. – J.B. Holmes, Adam Scott
12:35 p.m. – Kevin Streelman, Sungjae Im
12:45 p.m. – Robert Streb, Will Gordon
12:55 p.m. – Cameron Tringale, Zach Johnson
1:05 p.m. – Brice Garnett, Harry Higgs
1:15 p.m. – Camilo Villegas, Stewart Cink
1:25 p.m. – Shane Lowry, Russell Henley
1:35 p.m. – Denny McCarthy, Scott Harrington
1:45 p.m. – Matt Jones, Sam Ryder
1:55 p.m. – Aaron Wise, Brandon Hagy

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Fellow PGA Tour players rave about Matt Jones’ course record-tying 61

“He’s done? He played all 18 holes?” said Zach Johnson, who had a 67. “If he played 16 holes, that would be a good score.”

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Matt Jones introduced himself to the golf world at the 2008 Honda Classic when he was tied for the lead going into the final round and had NBC analyst Johnny Miller drooling about the rookie’s swing.

Jones finished fourth that week after he got snared in the Bear Trap. That sure-fire trip to stardom that Miller predicted hasn’t unfolded: Jones has won once on the PGA Tour in the 13 years since.

But Jones played like a Hall of Famer on Thursday, firing a 9-under 61 in windy conditions to tie the Champion course record at PGA National. It gave him a three-shot lead over 2014 Honda Classic champion Russell Henley and Aaron Wise after the first round.

A 61? On the Champ? In these conditions? No player bettered 66 in four rounds last year.

“He’s done? He played all 18 holes?” said Zach Johnson, who had a 67. “If he played 16 holes, that would be a good score.”

HONDA: Field by the ranking | Leaderboard | Photos | Tee times

“It was an incredible round, one of the best I’ve ever seen,” said Adam Hadwin, who played alongside Jones. “I just stopped saying, ‘Good shot,’ at some point. He just hit so many, you stop saying it.”

“Could be the round of the year,” said Lee Westwood, who shot 70.

Yet Jones wasn’t fist-pumping his way around the Champion course. Afterward, you couldn’t tell if the 40-year-old Australian shot a 61 or a 71.

Never mind this was his lowest score – by four shots! – in his 330th start on the PGA Tour.

“I play golf for a living,” Jones said. “I mean, I should be able to shoot a good score occasionally.”

How much was he in the zone? After an opening par, Jones birdied the next four holes – and didn’t realize he had done so until he saw a scoreboard at the end of the round.

“I didn’t even think about it,” Jones said. “You can’t think about that on this golf course because every hole can bite you.”

Jones closed with three consecutive birdies, including two at the Bear Trap, to match the 61 Brian Harmon shot in the second round of the 2012 Honda Classic. Jones hit 14 greens, took only 24 putts and was the only player to not make a bogey.

“It was probably one of the better ball-striking days with my irons that I’ve had for a long, long time,” Jones said. “Made a few putts. I got a little lucky to make a 30-footer from off the green at No. 17. It was a very good day.”

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It was a reminder of 2008, when Jones opened with rounds of 66 and 67 to get into the final pairing on Saturday, a shot behind leader Brian Davis. Jones had a chance to win on Sunday before he hit it into the water at No. 17, finishing three behind champion Ernie Els.

“I do remember it quite fondly,” Jones said. “Someone sent me a screenshot of that leaderboard yesterday, so it was good to see that.”

Henley also has good vibes at PGA National, having won in 2014 in a playoff against Rory McIlroy, Russell Knox and Ryan Palmer. Henley kick-started his round with an eagle at the 18th hole (his ninth) and made three consecutive birdies at the turn.

“This course will just beat you up and because it’s so hard, I feel like it takes a little pressure off me,” Henley said. “It’s such a beast that you just got to hang in there the entire time.”

There was a Koepka sighting on the leaderboard – Chase, not Brooks, who had to withdraw from his hometown PGA Tour event with a right leg injury. Chase, in on a sponsor’s exemption, was 3 under on his first six holes before settling for a 1-under 69.

Cameron Davis, who last year became the only player to shoot all four rounds in the 60s at the Masters while finishing second, birdied three consecutive holes late in his round for a 66. He’s tied for fourth with Scott Harrington and Kevin Chappell and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker.

Reigning British Open champion Shane Lowry, who recently moved to Palm Beach Gardens, had a 67 and is tied for eighth with Johnson, Jupiter’s Cameron Tringale and three others.

They’re all chasing Aussie Jones, who had a round Thursday the rest of the field was drooling about.

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Matt Jones gets best of fierce Champion Course, ties course record with 61 in Honda Classic

Matt Jones got the best of the fierce Champion Course as he tied the course record with 61 in Honda Classic.

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Matt Jones didn’t seem overly impressed.

“I play golf for a living,” Jones said. “I mean, I should be able to shoot a good score occasionally. It doesn’t happen as much as I want.”

Well, it happened Thursday in the first round of the Honda Classic.

On the windswept Champion Course at PGA National, Jones somehow shot a bogey-free, 9-under-par 61 to tie the course record set by Brian Harman in 2012 and move three ahead of the field midway through the opening 18.

His round was so good that playing partner Adam Hadwin joked he stopped saying, “Good shot,” sometime during the round.

“He just hit so many, you just stop saying it. You’re just under the assumption that it was good,” Hadwin said. “It was one of the best rounds I’ve seen in my life. He didn’t make any mistakes. It was fun to watch.”

HONDA CLASSIC: Tee times, TV | Odds | Fantasy

Just don’t expect Jones to start doing cartwheels or high-fiving everyone in sight despite shooting the lowest score of his 14 years on the PGA Tour. Or doing so on the same course where not a single player in any round last year shot 65 or better – the first time that’s happened on the PGA Tour in a non-major since 1996.

Jones hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation and 10 of 14 fairways, needed just 24 putts and ranked No. 1 in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green. He made birdies from 14, 2, 4, 4, 17, 6, 23 and 5 feet and another from 6 inches.

“I’m very happy with it,” Jones said. “I was very calm, I was very relaxed out there. I’m normally a bit more amped up and I had a different goal this week, to be a little bit more calm and walk slower.”

Aaron Wise and 2014 Honda winner Russell Henley each shot 64.

“I felt like I played amazing today,” Wise said. “The first few holes were pretty easy because there was no wind, but once we made the turn and got to the back nine, it was playing incredibly hard.

“For Matt to shoot 9 under, that’s an amazing round.”

The Honda Classic
Matt Jones stands on the 18th green during the first round of the 2021 Honda Classic at PGA National (Champion). Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Jones tied for fourth in 2008 in his tournament debut but has just one top-20 in six starts since. But he was reminded earlier this week about his debut when his name was prominent on the leaderboard all week.

“Someone sent me a screenshot of that leaderboard yesterday, so it was good to see that,” Jones said. “It’s just a difficult golf course. If you’re off a little bit you can’t get away with it around here. It was good to make birdies and get away with it.”

Jones, 40, is ranked No. 83 in the world and has one – the 2014 Shell Houston Open – PGA Tour title. But with birdies on half the holes – four consecutive on the front nine and three consecutive to end his round – he took a big step toward winning No. 2.

“I actually didn’t know I made four in a row until I saw it on the scoreboard on 18. I didn’t even think about it,” he said. “You can’t think about that on this golf course because every hole can bite you.

“It was probably one of the better ball-striking days with my irons that I’ve had for a long, long time. You have to be able to control the ball. It was windy out there, and I turned with a good score, and then you know what you’ve got ahead of you here, and I was just lucky to make a few more birdies.”

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Arizona State connections at U.S. Open: Past, current, future Sun Devils in the field

There are five former Sun Devils in the field at Winged Foot as well as a current and a future ASU golfer.

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The USGA was creative once again with its first and second round groupings for the 120th U.S. Open, which starts on Thursday.

For example, there’s an all-Canada group consisting of Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners.

There’s a big-hitters group made up of FedEx Cup champ Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau. Bombs away.

Andy Ogletree, who won the 2019 U.S. Amateur, gets to play with defending U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland and 2019 Open Championship winner Shane Lowry. That’s pretty cool.

There’s an all-Oklahoma State grouping made up of Rickie Fowler, Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland. #CowboyGolf, indeed.

In the group just ahead of them is an all-Arizona State threesome. Phil Mickelson, making his 28th U.S. Open appearance, will tee it up with fellow former Sun Devils Jon Rahm and Paul Casey.

Former ASU golfers Matt Jones, Chez Reavie and Chan Kim are also in the field.

But it’s not just past ASU golfers represented.

Sun Devil-to-be Preston Summerhays is in the 144-golfer field. He got in by virtue of his 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur title. Summerhays committed to ASU 11 months ago to and will be a part of the Class of 2021.

Current Sun Devil Chun An Yu, who goes by Kevin, is playing in his third U.S. Open. The fifth-year senior got in because of his World Amateur Golf Ranking. He was third as of the Aug. 19 cutoff.

Who’s your caddie?

Yu’s caddie this week will be his coach at ASU, Matt Thurmond, who will carry a Pat Tillman-inspired camoflage golf bag featuring the PT42 patch (Tillman wore No. 42 for the Sun Devils from 1994-97) and the ASU pitchfork logo.

Thurmond spoke with Sports360AZ.com in Phoenix earlier this week about Yu’s preparations for Winged Foot.

“You just have to recalibrate your expectations,” Thurmond said. “Kevin goes out on any course we play and shoots mid-60s, pretty much every day. Just knowing that you might go and shoot 74, 75 and have it be a great round and being OK with that, I think, is so important.”

Yu is grouped with Sebastian Muñoz and Justin Harding.

If there’s one last ASU-U.S. Open connection this week, it’s Mickelson’s caddie, Tim, his brother and the coach who preceded Thurmond in Tempe.

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