On The Up: Young golfer Sascha Apanui wins Ōmokoroa Cup against club president

Sascha Apanui, 10, won an Ōmokoroa Golf Club handicap match play tournament against club president John 'Swampy' Marsh. Photo / Supplied

Ten-year-old Bay of Plenty golfer Sascha Apanui has made a statement at his local club after beating the president.

The youngest player in the Ōmokoroa Cup graciously took out the tournament, beating 77-year-old club president John Marsh - affectionately known as Swampy.

The tournament used handicap match play scoring to even the playing field between lower-handicapped players and higher handicappers.

The final of the six-week tournament was played on July 12.

Sascha said the tournament went “really well”, and it was good to play with Marsh, who was tough to beat.

“He was playing some of the best golf I’ve seen him play.”

Sascha had only been playing golf for a couple of months, but had always been around it with his dad and older sister playing.

“I like the challenge of it, how it can get so hard, but once you get through it, it’s a really good feeling.

“After I have a bad hole or a bad shot, I just focus on the next shot and try to forget about it.”

Marsh said it was a pleasure to play with Sascha.

“He knows all the etiquette of golf, and is a very good young man.”

Marsh told the Bay of Plenty Times that Sascha beat him on the 18th hole, but said he had managed to compete and keep him under pressure, which made for a good match.

Sascha Apanui has only been playing golf for a couple of months and said he liked the challenge of it. Photo / Supplied

“I managed to break my 100, and he beat me by one stroke.”

Marsh said he had a chance to win it but made a couple of “silly putts”.

“Whoever made a muck-up on the hole sort of lost the hole, but it was very even and goes to show the handicap system does work.”

He said Sascha was very mature and could become a top amateur golfer if he stayed with it.

“He’s going to be one of our top golfers, that young fella.”

The Ōmokoroa Golf Club opened in the late 1970s and Marsh joined in 1988. He is now a life member and president.

“Ōmokoroa Golf Club is a second home to me. I’m down here pretty much every day.”

He said the juniors, including Sascha, were the future of the club and needed to keep up the influx for the club to flourish.

“It’s an absolute privilege to see them out there playing, they’re lovely to watch.”

Richard Apanui, Sascha’s dad, said it was awesome to see Sascha going up against Marsh.

Sascha Apanui, 10, won an Ōmokoroa Golf Club handicap match play tournament against club president John 'Swampy' Marsh. Photo / Supplied

“He’s the man, a legend of the club, and has pretty much given everything to that place.”

Apanui said seeing two golfers at such varied ages competing was “pretty cool for the sport of golf”.

“It just shows that Swampy at his fine age can play against a young fellow like Sascha, and it’s completely acceptable.”

“That’s the beautiful thing about Ōmokoroa, the club has been really supportive.”

He hoped Sascha’s takeaway from the match would be that if he loved something and put “a bit into it”, he could get a lot out of it.

“I think he recognises it’s not just about winning, it’s about the experience and what sports can do.”

Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.