Australasian Tour journeyman Andrew Martin has made a staggering four eagles in his final round to snatch the biggest win of his career.
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Aged 36 and ranked world No.836, Martin unfurled the round of his life on Sunday, shooting a 10-under 61 at Bonnie Doon GC to claim victory in the Players Series Sydney tournament.
Having started the day eight strokes behind, Martin, from Bendigo, won by two shots at 18-under 266 from overnight leader Charlie Dann of Queensland (71) and collected $22,500.
He sent statisticians scrambling with a front nine that featured four eagles, a birdie and a bogey as he drew within striking distance.
Martin's score of 61 is believed to be the lowest final round to win in the history of the Australasian Tour.
And he joins the likes of Gordon Brand Jnr (1986), Willie Wood (1990), Scott McCarron (1995), Mikko Ilonen (2003) and Haotong Li (2019) as players to record four eagles in a single round on one of the world's main tours.
The 2004 Australian Amateur champion has been a prolific winner in pro-am events since turning professional in 2005 but struggled to express what Sunday's feat meant.
"To shoot 10-under, that's still hard to get through my head, but mainly just the support of my family and my wife Rachel has given me to be able to keep doing this because it is tough in Australia to make a living," said Martin.
"I've never really fallen out of love with the game. I've always wanted to do it and if I was ever going to stop playing it would be a hard pill to swallow because I still feel there is a lot I want to achieve.
"This is one little box ticked but there a couple more I want to do. It's just good to show that my game is still there."
Martin's charge began when he holed a pitching wedge for eagle on the 386m, par-4 third and backed it up with a birdie at the par-4 fourth.
Two good shots into the par-5 seventh set up an eagle from pin-high, he chipped in from the front-edge at the 268m par-4 eighth and picked up his sixth shot in the space of three holes when he chipped in from the left of the green at the par-5 ninth.
In his pro debut, teen star Elvis Smylie (65) tied for third place, three behind Martin, along with with Australian Amateur champion Louis Dobbelaar, Brett Rankin, Shae Wools-Cobb and Jordan Zunic.
A third successive round of 70 saw amateur Grace Kim finish as the best female in a tie for 28th.
Australian Associated Press
