Fresh off receiving his Bachelor’s
degree in Communications, Zaback captured
the 13th Russell C. Palmer Cup held
annually at the Country Club of Waterbury.
Zaback held the overnight lead after a
first round 66, and despite challenges from
former UConn teammates Corey Birch and
Eric Dietrich, Zaback used his new found
consistency to charge up the leaderboard,
eventually winning by six strokes. “It’s really
special for me to win this event,” Zaback said
at the time; “I set my goals very high going
into the summer… I felt that my game was
in a good place, and I have a very determined
mindset.”
Zaback would certainly prove that
determination just a few weeks later when he
went on to capture his second Connecticut
Amateur Championship title in record
fashion, a title he also captured in 2014. After
earning the sixth seed during the 36 holes of
stroke play qualifying, Zaback marched his
way to the final match, defeating the likes
of Rasmey Kong, Thomas Dandrea, Steve
Gettings, and Brent Dietz. The 36 hole
Championship match would prove to be
nothing short of exceptional for Zaback, as
he marched to an 9 and 7 victory over former
teammate Corey Birch.
Six birdies and an eagle gave Zaback
a 6 up lead over Birch after the first eighteen
holes of the match. The two competitors
stood on the 1st tee of the afternoon round
and watched as Zaback’s drive bounced up
the fairway and into the hole for a hole-inone. Not only was this Zaback’s first ever
hole-in-one, but it was the first recorded
ace on the 1st hole in the 100 year history
of Wethersfield Country Club. Aside from
the long list of CSGA championships held
“
Throughout the week my game seemed to become
sharper and the final match was some of the
best golf I’ve played up to this point, including a
shot I’ll never forget.
at Wethersfield CC, the club famously
hosted the Insurance City Open (now the
Travelers Championship) from 1952 to
1983. Throughout the years of hosting the
best players in the state and across the world,
no player has ever recorded an ace on the
opening hole. When all was said and done,
Zaback played nearly perfect golf, recording
eleven birdies, one eagle and one doubleeagle, matched with just one bogey. Zaback’s
fourteen under-par for twenty-nine holes
will certainly go down as one of the greatest
performances in Connecticut Amateur
history.
While
capturing
two
of
Connecticut’s biggest amateur championships
in one summer might satisfy most players,
Zaback was not finished with his stellar play.
Just four short weeks after capturing the
Connecticut Amateur title, Zaback finished
runner-up in the New England Amateur
held at Hartford Golf Club. Posting rounds
of 72-71-69-66, Zaback polished off what
would end up being his final championship
as an amateur at a course he was all too
familiar with. Zaback worked as a caddie at
Hartford GC during his time at UConn, and
received the support of many of the Hartford
GC members during the event. “It was very
exciting to have the New England Amateur
held at Hartford,” Zaback stated, “my time as
a caddie there gave me significant knowledge
of the course, and the support I received from
the members I had caddied for was really
special to me.”
Despite one of the most consistent
summers of his career, Zaback failed to
qualify for the United States Amateur
Championship, sparking his decision to turn
professional. As Zaback put it, “the goal was
62 / CONNECTICUT STATE GOLF ASSOCIATION / 2016 ANNUAL
”
- Zach Zaback
to play the entire summer as an amateur…
There was some disappointment not
qualifying for the US Amateur, it was a bit
of a letdown not performing my best at that
time.” The disappointment of not earning a
trip to Oakland Hills certainly didn’t affect
his professional debut, as Zaback earned a
tie for eighth at the 82nd Connecticut Open
hosted by Woodway Country Club. When
asked why it was the right time for him to
turn professional, the answer was easy, “the
Connecticut Open has always been one of
my favorite events, and I felt it was a great
time to make my professional debut.”
With his professional debut behind
him, Zaback prepares for what he hopes is
a promising professional career, and like
many other young professionals is heading
South. “I am moving to Florida to pursue my
professional career,” says Zaback when asked
about his plans, ”hopefully I will be one step
closer to gaining status on the Web.com tour,
with my long term goal of playing on the
PGA Tour.” With his amateur accolades to
rest on, Zaback can now set his sights on a
different Player of the Year honor.
ABOVE: Zach Zaback made just one bogey in the 36-hole
finale that propelled him to a 9 & 7 victory.
OPPOSITE PAGE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): Zach
Zaback became the ninth player to win multiple Player of
the Year honors; Corey Birch recorded runner-up finishes
at the Russell C. Palmer Cup, Connecticut Amateur and
Connecticut Open; Brent Dietz's season included a RunnerUp at the Connecticut Mid-Amateur and advancing to
the semifinals at the Connecticut Amateur; Eric Dietrich
earned his highest career finish in the Player of the Year
race, propelled by an appearence in the quarterfinals
of the Connecticut Amateur; Dave Szewczul's win at the
Connecticut Mid-Amateur vaulted him into second place in
the Player of the Year race.