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Jones chips in to beat Kuchar to Houston Open title

Matt Jones chipped in on the first play-off hole to secure Houston Open victory © Getty Images

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Matt Jones earned his first trip to the Masters with a remarkable 42-yard chip-in on the first play-off hole, beating Matt Kuchar on his way to winning the Houston Open on Sunday.

The win is the first on the PGA Tour for Jones, who made a 46-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to reach the play-off. He ended it one hole later, chipping over the right front bunker on the 18th and watching it roll in.

Kuchar, who bogeyed the final hole of regulation, then missed his bunker shot to give Jones the win - earning him nearly $1.2 million and a trip to Augusta National.

Jones, who began the day six shots back of Kuchar, shot a final-round 66 and ended the tournament 15-under overall.

In September, Jones lipped out an 8-foot birdie putt on the last hole of the BMW Championship - a putt that would have earned him a trip to next week's Masters by sending him to the Tour Championship. He waited until the last possible moment to make amends for that miss on Sunday, doing so in impressive fashion.

Jones sent his tee shot on the first hole of the play-off into the right fairway bunker. He then landed just short of the greenside bunker with his second shot, while Kuchar found the bunker from the fairway.

It was the second straight miss of the 18th green from the fairway for Kuchar, who sent his fairway metal on the 72nd hole into the water before recovering to make bogey and reach the play-off.

Jones did not leave Kuchar any room for error in the play-off, sending his chip over the greenside bunker and watching as it rolled in - much to the delight of the Golf Club of Houston gallery.

Golfers were sent off in threesomes early Sunday morning for the second day in a row because of the threat of strong storms in the Houston area. The rain, heavy at times, began early during the final pairing's round, but the pros finished without any delays.

Kuchar started the day with a four-shot lead over Sergio Garcia and Cameron Tringale, but he bogeyed the first hole and was one-over on the front nine. That allowed Jones, who began the day at 9-under, to briefly tie for the lead at 14-under following a birdie on the par-4 11th.

Kuchar answered moments later with a 12-foot birdie putt on No.10. The putt gave him a one-shot lead at 15-under, a lead that seemed solid until the final hole of regulation. With Kuchar watching from the tee, Jones bounced back from a bogey on the 17th to make a 46-foot birdie putt on the last. That sent him to 15-under overall, one shot back of the lead.

Kuchar hit the fairway before his second shot found the water - opening the door for Jones to earn the win and his improbable trip to next week's Masters. It was the second straight final-round disaster for Kuchar, who shot a 75 in the final pair of last week's Texas Open on his way to finishing fourth.

Garcia finished in third at 13-under, while Tringale was fourth at 12-under.

Rory McIlroy matched the low round of the tournament with a 7-under 65 on Sunday, finishing tied for seventh at 8-under overall and finding some form ahead of the Masters next week.

Phil Mickelson, who won the tournament in 2011, was one-under on Sunday and finished seven-under overall in a tie for 12th - a week after he was forced to withdraw from the Texas Open because of a muscle pull in his right side.

Houston Open leaderboard

Matt Kuchar saw a four-shot lead evaporate on the final day of the Houston Open © Getty Images

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