Hawke's Bay on golf's fairway to the world

Mako Thompson (left) congratulated by caddy and Summerhill, Bay of Plenty, greenkeeper Steve Watson after the Mount Open win. Photo / Supplied

Two of New Zealand's brightest young golf hopes are looking to pay their dues to a Hawke's Bay legacy before getting swept up in the professional game, in what beckons as a new great era for New Zealand golf.

Maraenui club member Mako Thompson, 23, and Zack Swanwick, 16, were at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively as Hawke's Bay reached the final of the men's national inter-provincial tournament at the Ashburton Golf Club last year.

Now Thompson, a six-year veteran of the tournament and Hawke's Bay senior representative for golf, says he owes it to Hawke's Bay to go one better and win the crown for the first time in 53 years in this year's tournament at Omanu Golf Club, Mount Maunganui, on December 6.

He expects it to be his last, but he has a liking for the Bay of Plenty environment.

At nearby Mount Maunganui Golf Club, Thompson had his first Jennian Holmes Charles Tour win in the Mount Open on September 25.

At the same time, Swanwick was between his third placings in the Gary Player Junior Classic in Queensland and the Jack Newton International Junior Classic at Cypress Lakes in northeastern New South Wales.

Zack Swanwick, third overall and age group winner in Australia on Friday, and this week playing in the national junior inter-provincial tournament for Hawke's Bay. Photo / File

Having emulated Thompson's 2017 success by winning the New Zealand Under-19 title six weeks ago, it's been a busy time for Swanwick, who flew back to New Zealand at the weekend for a day at home in Taradale after having bombed in the last two rounds at Cypress Creeks to relinquish the overall lead on the last day. But, he still kept hold of the top prize in the 16-years age group, three strokes clear of age-group runner-up Kai Komulainen, of Queensland.

Father Vinny Swanwick said Zack was "devastated" by following the opening two rounds of 68s with a last two of 75 and 77, finishing two strokes behind overall winner and 15-years age group winner Dujuan Snyman, of Queensland, and one from runner-up and 17-years age group winner Jack Riley, of NSW.

But there was no time for pondering what-ifs, with Swanwick now in Cambridge for the national junior inter-provincial championships, which Hawke's Bay started on Tuesday morning with a 4/2 win over Waikato Black.

No. 1 Swanwick got an early finish at the 15th with a 5 and 3 win over home-team No. 1 Michael Ellis.

When he returns home, it will be time to start considering at least two overseas golf scholarship offers, with possibly one more national inter-provincial opportunity in 2023 before taking up the big break.

In a breakthrough era hindered by coronavirus pandemic limitations, Thompson's win at Mount Maunganui was his first in about 15 Charles Tour attempts, and now he heads for another on October 13-16 at Christchurch club Pegasus, where he had his best previous Charles Tour result - it was as runner-up in 2020.

Wellington golf star Daniel Hillier, who was fourth at the weekend in France going for back-to-back wins on the profession European Challenge Tour, is now ranked odds-on for a place on the DP World Tour, joining leading Kiwi hope Ryan Fox, who had the biggest win of his career in Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews, in Scotland, also at the weekend.

Amateurs claimed the first four placings in the Mount Mauganui Open Golf, an NZ media release says, with Thompson going into the last round with a two-stroke lead to face a near stroke-for-stroke battle with fellow New Zealand Golf Academy member and Taranaki golfer Sam Jones to finish complete rounds of 67, 66, 65 and 68 and a one-stroke victory.

Napier golfer Guy Harrison after winning the inaugural all-abilities Mount Open. Photo / Supplied

He told Golf NZ media: "It's amazing. It's a real testament to the amateur players that are coming through in New Zealand. We're all starting to play really well, not just here in New Zealand, but internationally as well. It's great to see that three National Academy amateurs were the leaderboard's top three players."

There was further Hawke's Bay success at Mount Maunganui, with Guy Harrison, of Napier, winning the inaugural All Abilities Mount Open, played over the weekend alongside the main event.

Harrison won by a shot after rounds of 81 and 83 to hold off a fast-finishing Wayne Eder (Waimairi Beach), and earned crucial EDGA all-abilities world ranking points.

After the Christchurch tournament, Thompson heads to Thailand for Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship starting on October 27.

But he's not forgetting Hawke's Bay, saying the provincial team has provided a legacy and he "owes" it to them to try to win the inter-provincial crown.

"That and the members at the Maraenui Golf Club, which I've been a part of since I started when I was 12 or 13," he said. "It's nice to be able to play those tournaments and give something back. The members have been fantastic, and Hawke's Bay Golf as well."