cover story
Keeping up with
the Joneses
Matt and Melissa Jones
discuss the daily grind
of a PGA Tour pro
A
Photo: Andy Browbill,
PGA of Australia
t long last Matt Jones can relax a bit. After leaving his home in Sydney
at age 18 to pursue college and pro golf in America the 34-year-old’s
hard work is fully paying off. In this year filled with Aussie victories on
the US PGA Tour Jones’ breakthrough win in Houston easily takes the cake as
the most exciting. His playoff chip-in birdie that sealed his win over steady
veteran Matt Kuchar wowed the Houston crowds, his parents back home in
Sydney, and his wife Melissa at their US home in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Inside Golf recently caught up with Joneses, and discussed their lives on Tour.
Garrett Johnston
Melissa, talk about the excitement of
Matty’s victory? Where were you at that
moment?
Matt, you played in your first Open
Championship in July. How much were you
looking forward to it?
“I was watching it on Shotlink holding my
new baby (Savannah) at home in Scottsdale. I
went crazy when he made that chip!
“It’s been a big goal of mine to play in
the British Open. It always has been a big
deal. Any major is a great major to play in
but I think being from Australia, the British
Open is pretty special and one of those that
you really want to win. I had my chances in
Australia at the Aussie Open to get in, I just
had to par 17 and birdie 18 and I would have
already qualified for the Open Championship
but thankfully there were other ways to get
in and plenty of golf tournaments.”
I screamed so loud I thought I blew out
poor Savannah’s eardrums.
Of course I so badly wish I could have
watched it on TV but it was still exciting.
A caddie who was watching had called
Matty’s agent Mike Chizum and told him that
Kuchar hit it in the water on 18 and we were
probably going to go into a playoff.
And then Mike went and listened live in his
car on PGA Tour radio. He got fired up when
he heard about the chip-in and shouted to me
over the phone. So exciting, I couldn’t believe it.”
When did you and Matt meet?
“We met in 2008 through some mutual
friends and we got married in 2010. We got
engaged five months later after meeting, but
I was Miss Idaho at the time and you have to
stay a Miss in order to compete in Miss USA.
Even though we got engaged in 2010 we had
a long engagement.”
What was the wedding like with his Australian
family and you being an American?
“It was great. We got married in Napa Valley
in California during 2012. It was hard to
pick a spot to live because we’re all over the
country and Matt’s family lives in Australia
and my family is in California so we just
picked a destination and we thought Napa
Valley would be really fun.”
Where did you and Matt go on your
Honeymoon?
“We had his family in town from Australia
and then we all went to Vegas and
entertained some the Aussies and then Matt
and I went to the Bahamas for a week but I’m
still waiting for my world sabbatical.”
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August 2014 | www.insidegolf.com.au
How do you assess this year so far?
“Of course the win’s been great but I haven’t
had as many top finishes as I was expecting.
A couple bad holes at the start of the year
kept me out of a couple big top finishes that
I would have liked but other than that I’m
pretty happy and my game’s coming around
nicely.”
How do you explain your play-off
clinching chip-in to get your first PGA Tour
win at Houston?
all the greats before me had walked before.
Especially to have my family, my parents, my
golf coach, my brother Brett who caddied for
me during the Par-3. It was pretty nice.”
“No I don’t specifically but I was so happy
I made my wa