Matt Jones takes The Honda Classic

Matt Jones won The Honda Classic by five shots for his second PGA TOUR title. Matt Jones takes The Honda Classic [View Online]( [Wire-to-Wire Logo] Matt Jones was the only player in the final seven groups to finish under par. (Getty Images) Teeing Off [JONES DRIVES OFF WITH WIN AT THE HONDA CLASSIC]( He started the week tying the course record. He ended it by hoisting the trophy. And while there were plenty of nervous moments in between, [Matt Jones kept calm to claim The Honda Classic by five shots]( over Brandon Hagy. The five-shot victory tied for the largest in tournament history. The 40-year-old Aussie also earned his second win on TOUR, with this one coming during his 174th start since claiming the Vivint Houston Open in 2014. “I’ve had some tough times in between that and now,” Jones said as he teared up. “Sorry. I’m pretty emotional. Seven years, so. I just worked hard. I had some tough times putting and worked hard with my coach back in Australia. It’s finally paid off.” Jones became the 14th international winner of The Honda Classic in the last 27 stagings of the event. He began the week with a scorching 9-under 61 to tie the course record, and followed with rounds of 70, 69 and 68 in windy conditions to close it out. Jones earned 500 FedExCup points and moved up 49 spots to No. 11 in the [standings](. [divider] [MATCH PLAY MADNESS]( Sixty-four of the world's best will return this week to Austin Country Club and go head-to-head in the [World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play](. Due to last year's event being cancelled, 2019 champion Kevin Kisner will look to defend his title around the Pete Dye-designed course. Kisner’s last two finishes at the Match Play include his win and a second-place finish the year before. The bracket for the [field]( will become official today, and fans can watch the draw show live [on PGA TOUR’s digital platforms beginning at 11 a.m. ET](. Reigning FedExCup champion Dustin Johnson will headline the field as a previous winner in 2017. Former Texas Longhorn Jordan Spieth looks to continue his good run of form that he has shown to start the year. Twenty-two golfers will be making their Match Play debuts, including TOUR winners Sungjae Im, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff, alongside Korn Ferry Tour Points leader Will Zalatoris and major champion Collin Morikawa. Morikawa looks to pick up his second World Golf Championships after his victory at The Concession last month. Sergio Garcia will eclipse Tiger Woods’ record of all-time matches played at the Match Play with 48, when he completes the group stage of the event this year. Currently, Garcia has played 46 matches. Also, [don’t forget to sign up]( to compete in the Bracket Challenge. [divider] [TOUR’S RETURN TO PARADISE]( Four of the five winners at the [Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship](, including last year’s champion Hudson Swafford, return to paradise to try to rekindle some past magic. The event, played opposite the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, returns to its usual spot on the schedule after being contested in September last year. Graeme McDowell, Brice Garnett, and Nate Lashley (winner when the event was part of the Korn Ferry Tour schedule) join Swafford as previous winners who will tee it up this week at the Tom Fazio designed course. The final three-hole stretch at the Puntacana Resort & Club is named “The Devil’s Elbow” and has a dramatic forced carry of the Bay of Corales on No. 18. It’s regarded as one of the most idyllic runs of golf on TOUR. There will be some new faces at this event as golfers who were inside the top-10 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List at the end of 2020 earn a spot for the alternate-field PGA TOUR events in 2021. Also, veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez is also competing in the Dominican Republic for the first time in a non-major/non-World Golf Championships event on TOUR since 2009, when he finished T64 at The Honda Classic. Video Of The Week A flop shot over the camera tower set Phil Mickelson up for an impressive par. The Turn MIC CHECK “It was probably the calmest I’ve been in a golf tournament for four straight days.” - Matt Jones after winning The Honda Classic [divider] BY THE NUMBERS 67 – Final-round score for Chase Koepka at The Honda Classic, good for a tie for 30th. His older brother Brooks, who sat out due to an injury, [offered support and encouragement through multiple FaceTime calls](. 4 – Players over 40 who have won on the TOUR this season (Matt Jones, Sergio Garcia, Stewart Cink and Brian Gay). 3 – Eagles on the week for Brian Gay, who became the first player to accomplish that feat at PGA National in the FedExCup era. It also marked the first time Gay made three eagles at a TOUR event in his career. 3 – Wins on the LPGA for Christina Kim, who [joined the Golf & Fitness Show]( to discuss how she lost 60 pounds and revitalized her mental and physical health. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [TERMS & PRIVACY]( To remove yourself from all future PGA TOUR WIRE2WIRE communications please click here: [Unsubscribe]( PGA TOUR 1 PGA TOUR Boulevard Ponte Vedra, FL 32082 Attn: Marketing, Fan Engagement ©2021 PGA TOUR WIRE2WIRE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED