There’s a case to be made that both Rodger Davis and Matt Jones are under-appreciated within Australian golf.

Davis spent much of his career swimming in the shadow of the Great White Shark while Jones has forged a career on the PGA TOUR and won two Australian Opens without any of the fanfare associated with contemporaries such as Adam Scott and Jason Day.

Indeed, Jones was introduced to Greg Norman in 1987 in a Channel Seven news segment at just six years of age after a hole-in-one at the local Kareela Golf Club in Sydney’s south, the next ‘blonde bomber’ waiting in the wings.

“I like his personality. He’s got a good swing, got a good attitude,” Norman said.

 In a career boasting 30 wins worldwide, Davis would likely have won even more tournaments if not for Norman’s presence yet revelled in the energy the Aussie No.1 brought wherever he played.

“It was great being in that era with Greg because he could flat-out play,” Davis said in a 2018 interview with Australian Golf Digest.

“You just hoped you could get in his slipstream.”

Four years Norman’s senior, Davis turned professional in 1974 but after early success – including a two-stroke win over Norman at the European Tour’s State Express Classic in 1981 – put family first and moved to the Sunshine Coast to run a motel.

The deal turned sour and left Davis and his family virtually bankrupt and with little choice but to return to tournament golf.

With renewed dedication to fitness and determination to provide for his family, Davis won four times in 1986 and by the time he won the 1991 Volvo Masters had risen to 10th in the world. His best finish in a major came in 1987 when he was runner-up by a stroke to Nick Faldo at the Open Championship at Muirfield, a tournament in which he opened with a course record 64.

Currently, the chairman of the PGA of Australia, Davis is perhaps best remembered for his win at the 1988 Bicentennial Classic played at Royal Melbourne.

In a field boasting local legends such as Norman, Ian Baker-Finch, Wayne Grady, Craig Parry and Brett Ogle along with US stars Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Johnny Miller and Craig Stadler competing for the richest prize in Australian golf history it was Davis and his famous plus-twos who rose to the top, defeating Fred Couples at the second playoff hole.

Davis also owns the honour of being the latest Australian to win on the Champions Tour, winning the 2003 Toshiba Senior Classic by four strokes.

In contrast to Davis and his unmistakable fashion choices, Jones has established his credentials in relative anonymity.

Save for his early star turn with the Shark, Jones has made steady progression throughout his career.

An All-American during his time at Arizona State, Jones turned professional in 2001 but took until 2008 to play his way onto the PGA TOUR courtesy of finishing seventh on the Nationwide Tour moneylist the year prior.

His sole win in America came at the 2014 Shell Houston Open where he chipped in to defeat Matt Kuchar at the first playoff hole but it is his performances at The Australian Golf Club that have elevated his standing most.

A junior member at the club, Jones holed a nervy putt on the 72nd hole to finish one stroke clear of Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth to win the 2015 Australian Open and endured another dramatic finale to his second Stonehaven Cup win last December.

Believing he had a two-shot buffer standing on the 18th tee of the final round, Jones was informed after finding the fairway bunker with his tee shot that South African Louis Oosthuizen had eagled the par-5 finishing hole to close the margin to one.

After his second shot clipped a tree branch Jones required a delicate up-and-down to become just the 14th player to win the Australian Open on more than one occasion, successfully holing out from five feet to win for the second time at the famed Kensington layout.

Showing his fondness for his national championship, Jones has also finished runner-up in 2010 and 2017 and was top 10 in both 2012 and 2013.

Rodger Davis
Career wins: 30
European Tour wins: 7
Australasian Tour wins: 14
Australian Open: Won (1986)
Australian PGA: 2nd (1984, 1990, 1996)

Matt Jones
Career wins: 3
PGA TOUR wins: 1
Australasian Tour wins: 2
Australian Open: Won (2015, 2019)
Australian PGA: T30 (2017)