TOUR rookie off to fine start at The Honda Classic
By Lauren Deason, PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Matt Jones, 27, grew up in Australia but quickly picked up an American hobby after moving to the United States at age 18.
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A boyish smile lights up his face when talking about one of his surprising interests -- fantasy football.
"Am I [a fantasy football fan]? Oh yeah. I was in two leagues last year. In one of the leagues I did terrible, and the other one, I won," Jones said, adding that one of the leagues pitted PGA TOUR golfers versus Nationwide Tour golfers.
The way Jones has begun his first season on the PGA TOUR, anyone who took a chance on the rookie in a fantasy golf league is probably quite happy. In five events, he's made five cuts -- four of those times Jones has finished inside the top-30 -- and has amassed over $200,000.
Just last year, Jones was grinding his way through the Nationwide Tour where he made $302,226 all season. He nearly set a Nationwide Tour record in 2007 by being a runner-up four times (the record is five) but never captured a win. Still, his nine top-25s were enough to earn a 2008 PGA TOUR card after a seventh place finish on the '07 Nationwide Tour money list.
"Of course you're playing against the world's best out here [on the PGA TOUR]. But out [on the Nationwide Tour], look at the number of players that come out and do well out here, like Jeff Quinney last year, Camilo Villegas has done it," Jones said.
"I played well out there last year and had four seconds. So you kind of get used to being in the final group. You get a little more comfortable with it....[This year on the PGA TOUR] I have not changed my approach at all. I'm still just out there playing."
This week at The Honda Classic, Jones continues his run toward a 1.000 made-cut batting average and a high finish. On Thursday, the TOUR newbie found himself near the top of the leaderboard with several past winners of the tournament, including Jesper Parnevik, Dudley Hart and Luke Donald.
Jones shot an opening-round 66 that featured six birdies and just two bogeys at PGA National Resort & Spa. The highlight of his round was a birdie on the 10th hole, a 510-yard par-4 hole.
His tee shot there found the rough then his second shot landed in the right bunker. Jones' 40-yard blast out of the bunker finally found the right stuff and trickled down the green into the hole.
"The highlight of my day would have been probably the 10th hole... then [what] kept my round going would have been the par on No.13," Jones said, referring to the 13th hole where he drove it into a bunker, subsequently found another bunker, then landed his third shot about four feet from the hole to save par.
"That just kept the round going. If I had struggled there, having the last few holes to finish off wouldn't have been too easy. They are tough enough without any wind but with a little bit of wind today, they were pretty tough."
Being 4-under par after day one is nice but, if he can do it come Sunday, "then it will be much more enjoyable."
"Your first year out here, everyone needs to see their name up on top of the leaderboard just to show yourself that you can do it. It would be a lot different if it's towards the top of the leaderboard on Sunday."
Finding himself near the peak of the pack with the likes of Donald and Ernie Els is pretty heady company for a rookie. But, then again, Jones is used to being around big names. He played junior golf in Australia against Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley, though he didn't focus solely on golf until age 17.
Given the choice at that age between the links and a soccer field, the former midfielder from Sydney, Australia decided to ditch the soccer gear for the dimpled ball and clubs.
He packed his bags, left his father (a technician and quite an athlete himself) and mother (she's in public relations) and headed for Arizona State University. While there, he earned All-America honors with ASU teammates and now fellow PGA TOUR pros Jeff Quinney, Chez Reavie and Paul Casey.
"We were never any good. We all struggled when we played as a team. Individually everyone did well, but team-wise, it was a struggle," Jones said, though he did help lead the Sun Devils to a sixth-place finish in the NCAA Championship.
After spending roughly five seasons on the Nationwide Tour from 2002-2007, Jones finally landed where he always planned to be: the PGA TOUR.
"I would have expected to be playing here earlier on, but it took me a while. And I think playing the Nationwide Tour for the last few years was a blessing in disguise. I might not have been ready to come out here two, three years ago. It might have been hurtful if I had," Jones said. "I think playing the Nationwide Tour was the best thing that could have happened."
Familiarity with fellow Nationwide Tour players, many of whom preceded him to the Big Show, is a bonus for the rookie. Almost 100 different former Nationwide Tour players have won 221 times on the PGA TOUR, so it's like a mini reunion every week. Not to mention an astonishing two-thirds of the PGA TOUR membership in 2008 is Nationwide Tour alumni.
"I'm playing with all the guys from the Nationwide Tour now. We play in the last few groups every week, so it's pretty much like you're playing in a Nationwide Tour event. You're comfortable with the people you know from previous years."
Jones may be a hardened Nationwide Tour graduate but he still looks like he's fresh out of college.
The 6-foot, 170-pound golfer and fantasy football extraordinaire doesn't hesitate when he's jokingly asked at the end of his interview if he ever gets confused with former University of Arkansas and now Jacksonville Jaguars standout Matt Jones.
"The quarterback from Arkansas? We are the same physical shape, aren't we?" he quipped, since the other Matt Jones has him by about six inches and roughly 70 pounds.
"Not at all. I don't think someone could get me mistaken for him."
And, should he win this week, it's doubtful that anyone will when he makes a name for himself.
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