It’s Wade Ormsby’s shout after he not only earned a supply of German beer for a his first European Tour but then he also help set a new European Tour record on day three of the KLM Open.
Ormsby will head to the final round on the Dutch North Sea shoreline lying in a three-way share of fifth place on 13-under par, and only three strokes from the lead as he seeks to capture a first Race to Dubai tournament.
The 35-year old has won on the Asian Tour but yet to savour success in 219 events on the European Tour where he made his debut in 2004.
And after becoming the lowest scoring Australian on Tour in shooting a round of 61 on the opening day at Zandvoort, Ormsby again became part of European Tour history when he aced the par three, 11th that extended a new Tour record for the number of holes-in-one in a single season.
Ormsby’s ace was the 41st hole-in-one this year and came just 30 minutes after Swede Magnus Carlsson broke Tour record of 39 aces in a single season when he holed out at the par three eighth hole.
SECOND HOLE-IN-ONE ALERT OF THE DAY! Wade Ormsby aces the 158-yard 11th. #KLMOpen http://t.co/msyndCst5X
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 12, 2015
England’s in-form Lee Slattery and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello head the Kennemer Golf Club contestants with rounds of 63 to be tied at the top on 16-under par.
Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, with scores of 61, 71 and 63, is next best at 15-under par and with Belguim’s Thomas Pieters (62) in fourth place on 14-under par.
Slattery captured last week’s M2M Russian Open ending a more than four-year winless drought to capture on his second Tour title, and now like the No. 273 bus, the affable Brit is in pole position for back-to-back titles.
However there’s also Pieters, and managed by the same firm that looks after the business affairs of Tiger Woods, coming off victory last fortnight in the Czech Masters.
Ormsby knows he needs to go low if he’s to have a chance of a lifting one of the oldest titles on the European Tour but then he did shoot a first round 61.
Your shout, Orms. Earns a year’s supply of Warsteiner lager after grabbing his first ace on the European Tour. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
And after posting a double bogey at the 10th hole on day three Ormsby bounced back in the best way possible, and despite admitting he caught his 7-iron ‘thin’.
“You’re not suppose to say that when you get a hole-in-one but I did catch it thin, so I will still take it,” he said.
“I didn’t see the ball all the way as the shot was right on my eye line but then given the crowds reaction I knew it had found the bottom of the cup so it was a real bonus given I took a double at the previous hole.”
It is actually Ormsby’s third ace of his career with a first while competing in New Zealand and a second in the U.S. while he indicated also he’s had a couple during social matches back home.
And Ormsby’s prize was a year’s supply of German beer but then he only concern will be getting the supply of lager back home to Adelaide.
“I don’t know how we will do it but I am sure there is a way, and I know come Christmas time there will be plenty of friends knocking on my door looking for a beer,” he said smiling.
“But on a serious note I felt good out there early but just kind of lost my rhythm and struggled in the left-to-right wind while there was a poor shot into 17 that kind of annoyed me a little bit as it was a pretty big target.
“I still very much in touch and only three behind and with scoring so low you are going to have to go low again tomorrow if you are to have a chance of winning the tournament.
“But then in saying that I have been in every position heading to the last day and somehow found a way to lose, so it would be great tomorrow if I could pull it off.”
