Defending champ Jones, Ogilvy join Open field

They’ve won the Stonehaven Cup three times between them and now Geoff Ogilvy and Matt Jones have announced they will be lining up again at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Melbourne this summer.

A winner in 2019, Jones, who now plays on the breakaway LIV Golf tour, is returning as defending champion following the cancellation of the historic event in both 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.

Matt Jones holds his second Australian Open trophy when the tournament was last played in 2019 (Credit: Anthony Powter)

“It gives me a lot of pleasure to know that I can come back and defend,” said the 42-year-old. “It’s been a while, that’s for sure, but I can’t wait to get there. Everyone’s aware of how great the Melbourne sandbelt courses are and that’s always a challenge for any player as well as a treat.”

“Winning two national Opens is one of the things that I’m most proud of in my career but quite frankly three would be even better.”

Ogilvy, who is now semi-retired after returning home to live in Australia in 2019, grew up playing at Victoria Golf Club, one of the venues for this year’s mixed-gender Australian Open.

“I’m excited to play an Australian Open again,” said Ogilvy. “Especially to have the chance to play at my home course, and at Kingston Heath as well, that’s an opportunity I’m not going to miss.”

Jones and Ogilvy join a star-studded Australian line-up including Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert, Cam Davis along with Karrie Webb and Hannah Green.

The opening two days of competition (Dec 1-2) will be played at both Victoria and Kingston Heath before moving exclusively to Victoria Golf Club on the weekend.