Golf: Hawke’s Bay teen Zack Swanwick whacks ace in back-to-back national title win

Napier Golf Club junior and Taradale High School pupil Zack Swanwick after successfully defending the national Under-19 boys golf title in Timaru last week. Photo / GolfNZ

Hawke’s Bay golf prodigy Zack Swanwick has bowed out of major age-group golf and is seemingly heading to the top after a crushing successful defence of the New Zealand Under-19 Boys title.

With a swag of titles already behind him, including an Australian Junior Championship, and just the week after helping Taradale High School become the first Hawke’s Bay school to claim the New Zealand schools teams title, Swanwick hit a six-under-par last round 66, including a hole in one at the Timaru Golf Club on Friday.

With 70 and 69 in the first two rounds, it took him to 11-under for the tournament, and he claimed victory by nine strokes from runner-up Brodie Ferguson, of the Kaitake Golf Club in Taranaki, after starting the last day just a shot clear of two other players.

Ferguson also had a final round of 66.

Golf New Zealand reported Swanwick “never looked in his rear-view mirror”, opening with a birdie at the second hole before hitting the perfect shot on the fourth for an ace. He finished his opening nine with consecutive birdies at eight and nine to build a sizable lead that couldn’t be challenged, and came home with eight pars and a birdie at 13.

Reflecting on a year in which Cyclone Gabrielle devastated his home Napier Golf Club Waiohiki course, Swanwick said: “It’s a bit of a relief - especially with all the flooding back home in Napier. I haven’t been able to practise that much, and to win back-to-back titles at my last New Zealand Age Group Championship is pretty special.”

“It was a weird walk down the 18th today. I’ve been playing this event since I was playing in the Under-13 Division, so to sign off like this is amazing.”

The hole in one, the third of his career, was the icing on the cake, and he said: “Honestly, it was one of the worst struck shots I hit all day, and it went in.”

Swanwick, who doesn’t turn 18 until January, will enjoy a break while he catches up on his school studies before heading back overseas for more competitive golf at the end of the year.

Kayla van de Ven, a teammate in the earlier schools win at Pleasant Point, was 11th in the Under-19 girls championships at Timaru.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 50 years of journalism experience in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.