Manaia golfer Sam Jones wins second Jennian Homes Charles Tour event

Sam Jones wins the Jennian Homes Charles Tour Autex Muriwai Open at Muriwai Links, Auckland. Photo / Simon Watts

Sam Jones has won his second Jennian Homes Charles Tour event, the Autex Muriwai Open, beating Josh Geary on the second extra hole.

The Manaia Golf Club member began the final round a couple back of the veteran professional at seven under par and knew he needed to hang tough over the final day, which presented the same easterly gusts that had challenged the players all week.

The 26-year-old opened with even par on the front nine, making a bogey at the tough par 4 fourth and a birdie at the par 3 eighth. Jones was clinical during his closing nine, making seven pars and two birdies to catch Geary after regulation play at nine under, meaning a playoff was needed to separate the pair.

Both bogeyed the first extra hole, but it was Jones who was able to shake that off and make a solid par on the second playoff hole to get the job done.

He says it feels incredible to get over the line a second time after his first win at the Carrus Open last year.

“I was thinking this morning about how well the Golf New Zealand National Academy has performed in these events over the last couple of years and I wanted to be the first to win two of these. Obviously, Kazuma, Mako, and Jimmy have won one, but to get two is just incredible.”

He stood on the 16th hole two shots behind Geary with three holes to play but never stopped believing as the closing stretch at Muriwai Golf Links could trip up anyone.

Jones calmly rolled in a 10-foot birdie but on 16 to reduce the deficit to one and parred the final two to tie the lead.

Prior to this year’s Autex Muriwai Open, Jones had never broken 70 around the tough Muriwai Links. He believes he is a much better player now and says sticking to his solid game plan was the key to putting himself in the mix once again.

“With these finishing holes, anything can happen. I just stuck to my game plan and hit irons on both the par 5s on the back nine and laid my second up on 14 as I have the entire week. I just tried to keep the ball in front of me and avoid trouble where I could.

“I made a great par on 15, rolled in a nice birdie on 16, and unfortunately, Geary missed a couple coming in. That’s the reality of it — it was tough putting in the wind but thankfully, I was able to get the job done.”

Jones also says the winning feeling this time feels a lot different to his first, although both victories had their own weather challenges.

“The first one, I was three clear playing the last, so I felt as though I had that one sealed. This one was a lot closer but I feel like I stole it a bit because I was a couple back with three holes to play. I just told myself that I had nothing to lose; that was my mindset in the playoff. I’m stoked to get it done.”

Josh Geary still takes home the winner’s cheque because he finished as the leading professional. Momoka Kobori finished as the leading woman two shots back at seven under, tied with James Tauariki.

The Jennian Homes Charles Tour takes a break for winter. The Christies Floorings Mount Open is the next event at the end of September.