Amazing come from behind win at Bonnie Doon in Sydney

By Neville Idour

Andrew Martin has been one of many Australian regulars at the New Zealand Open and he recently proved that anything is possible on the golf course with his amazing come from behind win at Bonnie Doon Golf Club in Sydney.

Andrew Martin Winner at Bonnie Doon .Credit APGA

After 16 years battling away on the Australasian and Asian PGA tours this was his first victory and it happened in the most extraordinary fashion. After three solid rounds he was sitting at 14th, eight shots behind the leader Charlie Dann going into the final round. A top 10 finish was a reasonable goal.

But that would prove to be a modest goal as he rocketed into second place after just nine holes. He eagled the third, seventh, eighth and ninth holes. He also birdied No 4 and bogeyed No 6 for a remarkable eight under par for the opening nine holes.

Martin then took the lead with a birdie on the 170-metre No 11 then clinched the deal with another birdie on the 18th, a 417-metre par four to complete a 10 under par score of 61 to win by two shots from Dann.

Let’s examine the four eagles more closely.

The third hole at Bonnie Doon is a 386-metre par four with a deep front bunker and an elevated green. He holed a pitching wedge with his second shot.

The seventh hole is a 467-metre par five with a narrow entry to a bunker lined green which drops off to the right. Pin high for two, he holed the putt.

The eighth a 268-metre par four offers choices. Lay up or take driver and risk the dangerous bunkers which split the fairway to an elevated green. From the front edge Martin chipped in.

Finally, the ninth is a short 434-metre par five but provides challenges with a narrow entry to a green with bunkers both sides. Just left of the green for two he chipped in again.

So I guess you could say this sequence was part of the round of a lifetime for Martin. In fact it is believed to be the lowest final winning round in the history of the PGA Tour of Australasia. Only five other players have recorded four eagles in one round on a major tour. Martin's three eagles in succession has only been achieved by one other player in a PGA sanctioned tour event, Tony Hakula of Finland in 2019.

Martin, 36, was understandably overwhelmed.

“It is still a bit of a whirlwind,’’ Martin said.

``I still love the game and I have always wanted to do it. I feel there is still much to achieve.”

Martin was the Australian amateur champion in 2004 before turning professional in 2005. While this was his first PGA Tour win he has won many pro-ams. But his best efforts in PGA Tour events have not seen too many top 10 finishes. Most notable were second places in the 2012 New Zealand PGA and the Queensland PGA, fourth at the 2019 Thailand Open, and fifth at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Classic. He has been a regular visitor to the NZ Open with his best finish, eighth at The Hills in 2014.

Martin’s world ranking has always hovered around 800 but shot up to 496 after his win. The good news is he followed that with a 12th finish at the Queensland Open and 16th at the New South Wales Open. So maybe that win has opened the way for greener pastures for Martin and proves it takes just that one lightbulb performance to turn the tide.