Luke Toomey (right) and his caddy Nic Pierry at the Carrus Open in Tauranga. Photo / Zoe Hunter
Luke Toomey (right) and his caddy Nic Pierry at the Carrus Open in Tauranga. Photo / Zoe Hunter
Scoring an albatross in a golf tournament is what Luke Toomey calls a "once in a lifetime deal".
But the Tauranga golf professional has just hit his second three-under-par score on one hole in three months.
Toomey, 27, scored an eagle, albatross, and almost a hole in one in round three of the Carrus Open on the Jennian Homes Charles Tour at Tauranga Golf Club.
The defending champion finished rounds one and two with a 69 and 68 but today's 61 saw him climb the leaderboard to tie in second place.
"My fiancee [Kayla Hoyland] and I got engaged in July and we went on a bit of an engagement moon and then my first round back after that I made my first ever albatross on 13th here at Tauranga.
"It's kind of like a once in a lifetime deal that you make an albatross. So to make one a few months later in the biggest event that they have here is crazy. I'd love to know the odds on that."
"It was all on. I got off to a really solid start and just hit really well-executed golf shots. Then all of a sudden I chipped in on number 4, just missed out on number 5, and then a really good well-constructed eagle on six, perfect tee shot, good solid second shot, and then an awesome putt."
Toomey said he hit a good tee shot on the 7th hole for the ball to land behind some trees but still gave him a clear shot to the green.
"There is a big slope that runs from right to left and feeds all the way into the front part of the green. I had 240m but knew I only had to carry it probably 160m to 170m in the air and the slope would do the rest.
"This thing just came out like a rocket and exactly where I was aiming and about half way through its flight I asked for it to go in and sure enough about seven or eight seconds later it did.
"It was definitely a bonus for sure but it's nice to get some reward for just being patient I think."
Toomey said the Carrus Open week was always a challenging one for him.
"I load pressure on myself because I want to perform so badly for the club. This club has helped me so much for my career especially when I turned pro.
"I think I wanted it probably too bad those first two days and it was hard to get out of my own way."
But the golf pro said to his caddy Nic Pierry his only goal in round three was to free himself of any responsibility he felt to anyone else other than himself.
"I wanted to do it non-transactionally I guess. I didn't want to let go for the purpose of playing well. I just wanted to let go. If I shot 61 great. If I shot 81 great. It is what it is.
"Now that I am back in contention it doesn't change any mindset for tomorrow, I still have to stand on the tee and let go."
The Tauranga Golf Club is hosting more than 140 New Zealand golf professionals in what is said to be the biggest field to date for the 2020 Carrus Open.
Luke Toomey (right) and his caddy Nic Pierry at the Carrus Open in Tauranga. Photo / Zoe Hunter
"It is awesome for the game and for the Tauranga region, Charles Tour and New Zealand Golf in particular to have so many good players home when they would otherwise be playing on their respective tours," Toomey said.
"The fact we have got the strongest group of professionals bar Foxy [Ryan Fox] and Danny [Lee] playing on the PGA tour and European Tour, it's awesome."
After being in alert level 4 Covid-19 lockdown Toomey said he had been getting itchy feet.
Up until now, he has played a run of pro-ams in Nelson, Kaikoura and Blenheim before the DVS Pegasus Open in the South Island where he was also the defending champion.
After Tauranga, Toomey will head to Taranaki to continue the Charles Tour in the Taranaki Open.
"It's been four weeks worth of golf, it's epic."
But Toomey said the game plan for the rest of the year and heading into 2021 was still up in the air due to Covid-19, although he hoped the transtasman bubble would open up.
"It looks like the Aussie tour has a good run of events from January all the way to April, so fingers crossed we can get that bubble going and I can go and play almost a full season in the space of about four months. That will be epic."
Kiwi golfer Ryan Chisnall leads at Tauranga Golf Club by two at 14-under par following a third round of five-under 65.
Chisnall has contended in both the Autex Muriwai Open and the DVS Pegasus Open last week and looks forward to the prospect of winning his second event on the tour.
"I'm really excited for tomorrow. I've obviously been in the mix a few times in these Jennian Homes Charles Tour events and it feels really good to be right there again. I'm very happy."
Conditions were cold and blustery on moving day, but Chisnall knew he needed to get off to a hot start to track down overnight leader Jared Pender (Te Puke) who was four in front of the field, and six ahead of Chisnall.
He managed to do just that, making four birdies in his opening nine to tie the lead quickly with Pender faltering early.
Chisnall put a stamp on his round with birdies on the 16th and 18th holes to take a two-shot lead.
He said it was a satisfying day out there.
"It was a lot tougher today I thought. It was a lot colder and the wind was really gusty at times.
"I got off to a fast start which I knew I needed to do. Jared was six in front of me and I knew if he got off to a fast start, he would have been hard to catch. It was nice to roll a few in early and put a bit of pressure on him and plot along for the rest of the day in some tough conditions. Really happy with five-under."
He knows he will have his work cut out for him tomorrow with nine players within five shots of the lead.
Chisnall believes the packed leaderboard will make it easier tomorrow.
"The bunched leaderboard will make it a little easier tomorrow. There are plenty of guys tomorrow that are going to go low tomorrow.
"I've just got to go out there and play with as much freedom as I possibly can. We saw today with Toomey shooting 61 the scores are definitely out there. I've just got to keep making birdies and continue to go low."
