Zack Swanwick racks up top-10 finish as leading amateur at NZ Open golf tournament

Zack Swanwick with his trophy for finishing as the leading amateur at the 103rd New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort, Arrowtown. Photo / Photosport

Hawke’s Bay teenager Zack Swanwick finished in a tie for tenth in his first New Zealand Open.

Swanwick, of the Napier Golf Club, won the Bledisloe Cup for the leading amateur and was the equal-second New Zealander, tied on 13-under for the tournament with LIV professional Ben Campbell, two shots behind Josh Geary, who finished in a tie for third overall.

“I’m pretty happy to be done,” Swanwick told Golf NZ afterwards.

“The nerves were kicking in at the end there.”

A highlight of the final day for Swanwick, and Hawke’s Bay caddie Andrew Henare, was an eagle on the 17th hole.

Swanwick failed to qualify for the New Zealand Open last year, but was among three elite national amateurs who received invites to this event at the Millbrook Resort, near Queenstown.

He is set to take up a scholarship at the University of Florida in August and has spent much of the summer playing amateur events in Australia, as well as the Australian Open professional tournament. GolfChannel.com has rated Swanwick the ninth-best golfer in the incoming class of American college recruits.

The New Zealand Open was won by Japanese player Takahiro Hataji, a shot ahead of Australian Scott Hend.

Swanwick finished four shots behind Hataji, as well as finishing seventh overall in the concurrent Pro-Am competition at the New Zealand Open with his amateur partner.