Luke Toomey has won the Carrus Open in Tauranga for the second time in a row. He is pictured with caddy Nic Pierry. Photo / Zoe Hunter
Luke Toomey has won the Carrus Open in Tauranga for the second time in a row. He is pictured with caddy Nic Pierry. Photo / Zoe Hunter
Back-to-back golf wins, two "once in a lifetime" albatrosses and getting engaged - it is safe to say Tauranga professional golfer Luke Toomey has had a year to remember.
Toomey, 27, is the two-time champion of the Carrus Open on the Jennian Homes Charles Tour after finishing with a 14-under-parscore of 266 in Tauranga today.
The defending champion finished rounds one and two with a 69 and 68 and leaped up the leaderboard with a 61 to tie in second place in round three to finish with a solid 68 in the final round.
Toomey said he felt "relieved" to be off the golf course with a trophy in his hands and "to be able to do this for the Tauranga Golf Club".
"It has been an amazing 12 months for me and this is just icing on the cake."
He said it felt "so damn good" to be able to bring the trophy home once again in front of his family and new fiancee Kayla Hoyland.
"It's always added feels when your family is there watching close. I feel like there wasn't as much pressure as I felt last year because I hadn't won in front of them before but to do it again was just really special."
In round three of the Carrus, Toomey scored an eagle (two under par on one hole) and an albatross (three strokes under par on one hole) - something he said was a rare feat.
"My fiancee 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."
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."
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.
"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."
Toomey said he planned to continue the momentum heading into the rest of the year and into next year.
"Obviously the extra cash is amazing and gives me a chance to reinvest it into my own business and my own development.
"This is the ultimate highlight, isn't it. The thing I am most proud of is how I dealt with that first couple of days, especially having made an eight on number two. I was super proud of how this has all turned out."
Celebrating our Bay golfers
Kieran Muir - Ōmokoroa
Kieran Muir - Omokoroa
How good is it to be back playing on home turf?
It's pretty nice to be able to play tournament golf and to be able to able to sleep in my own bed and do it as well is pretty choice.
It was pretty slow this week. I never really got any momentum going and I was out of position a bit too much and didn't make enough birdies. To win around here you have got to make a lot of birdies. A lot of it was really solid but it just wasn't sharp enough.
What's next?
Taranaki Open next week.
Shaun Campbell - Ōmanu
Shaun Campbell - Omanu
How good is it to be back playing on home turf?
It was really good just to be home again and to be able to play in front of what I'd like to call your home people. The vibe around here is always great. It's just really good to have that support.
This week I hit the ball really good and hit some really good putts but just didn't drop. So there are a few good things to take away and go and work on.
What's next?
New Zealand Amateur coming up in a couple of weeks.
It is pretty great, especially some of the members here who support you through and through. There were heaps of people out here watching, including a few of my mates and my family. It is great playing on home turf.
How did you play this week?
I got off to a really hot start with 6 under, which was really nice. But I guess I let the pressure get to me a little bit. I didn't quite finish the week off the way I wanted to but all in all I was just happy to be out there again.
What's next?
Taranaki Open next week followed by the New Zealand Amateur in Gisborne.
It is obviously great to have any events on and to have one on your home turf is even more special.
How did you play this week?
It was a bit of a frustrating week. I played quite well for the first two or three days but just couldn't get much out of my score. But overall it was actually pretty good. It was just one of those weeks where you've just got to swallow it and move forward.
What's next?
Taranaki Open next week. Not much on until next year, which looks pretty busy if it all goes ahead.
We are pretty lucky. Watching it on TV, you're watching tournaments but there are no crowds so it is cool having the crowds out there creating atmosphere, that's all part of it - and golf is booming in Tauranga at the moment so it is good to see everyone out there.
How did you play this week?
I am actually really happy with my efforts. I am extremely competitive so it's good to get those juices flowing again.
What's next? Looking forward to playing in the Carrus again next year.
It is great. It is always a good event here and well supported by Carrus. I have been coming here a long time so it is a tournament I always look forward to, then of course without being able to play this year it makes it even more special.
How did you play this week?
I played alright, pretty steady. I haven't played much at all this year so I wasn't expecting much but it was better than expected.
