Napier teen wins Australian golf title

Zack Swanwick, 17, took out the Australian Junior Amateur Championship . Photo / Supplied

A Napier teenager has won the biggest title of his young golf career in Australia.

Zack Swanwick, 17, took out the Australian Junior Amateur Championship, beginning the final round with a three-shot lead and closing with a two-under par 70 to win by four shots.

New South Wales’ Ann Jang, 15, who plays out of New South Wales Golf Club, retained the lead she first took on day two of the championships, and played steady golf to win the girls’ championship by four shots at Tasmania Golf Club on Friday.

In both cases, it is the players’ biggest victory in amateur golf so far and both will be given a start in the 2023 ISPS HANDA Australian Open, with the opportunity to play against professionals on the big stage.

For Swanwick, it will be a flight back to New Zealand and final-year classes at Taradale High School this week. The gifted young player also has to prepare for his stint at the University of Florida in 2024 on a golf scholarship.

On Thursday, Swanwick kept himself ahead but like Jang, never felt comfortable until the very last hole.

“All the stress has gone now,” he said. “I can finally breathe.”

Swanwick was threatened by Queenslander Kai Komulainen, playing in the same group, with both boys making eagle at the par-5 13th hole.

At one point on the back nine, the margin was just two shots, but the New Zealander proved steadier down the stretch, and when he saw a leaderboard on the 18th tee, he realised that he was four shots ahead of Komulainen.

A tee shot inside two metres at the par-three 18th helped his nerves. “That kind of sealed the deal,” he said.

“I was just out there having fun this week. If I’m not having fun, I get too stressed. So I think the key for me was that I was able to enjoy it and take in the nice weather.”

Swanwick said he only became aware of his Australian Open start (at The Australian in Sydney this year) after his win today. “I’ve been told that. I’m pretty happy about it,” he said.

His scores of 72-67-65-70 were enough for an emphatic win from Western Australia’s Joseph Buttress, who flew home with a 69 to finish second at 10-under par. Komulainen finished outright third at nine-under par.

Swanwick said in an interview with Hawke’s Bay Today last month he just wanted to work and “hopefully make money, and just live a good life”.