Date: September 13, 2015
Author: Bernie McGuire

Here’s cheers for Ormsby’s record ace

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It's Wade Ormsby's shout after he not only earned a supply of German beer for a his first European Tour, but also helped set a European Tour record on day three of the KLM Open in the Netherlands.

Ormsby will head to the final round along the Dutch North Sea shoreline lying in a three-way share of fifth place on 13 under 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 the 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 today, extending the Tour record for the number of holes-in-one in a season.

Ormsby's ace, the first by an Aussie on the European Tour this season. was the 41st hole-in-one this year and came just 30 minutes after Swede Magnus Carlsson broke Tour record of 39 aces when he holed out at the eighth hole.

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.

Scotland's Paul Lawrie, with scores of 61, 71 and 63, is next best at -15, with Belguim's Thomas Pieters (62) fourth on -14.

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.

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 crowd's 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 Ormsby's third career tournament ace with a first while competing in New Zealand and a second in the US while he also has "a couple" during social matches back home.

And Ormsby's prize was a year's supply of Warsteiner beer — his only concern 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 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."