Teen gets another crack at district championship

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This article was published 24/06/2022 (1514 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

You wouldn’t know it speaking to her, but Crystal Zamzow is just 16 years old. She carries the type of quiet confidence that gracefully exudes from many champions at the highest levels in sport.

This weekend, Zamzow hopes past heartbreak and another year of experience can carry her to a win in a distinguished provincial tournament.

The teenager tees off at the Women’s City and District Championship at La Broquerie Golf Course today, a title that slipped from her grasp a year ago.

Zamzow led the 36-hole event after the first round at Transcona Golf Club, firing a rock-solid 78 that included one birdie and just seven bogeys.

Her lead quickly vanished on Sunday, however, when she was grouped with two provincially-renowned golfers in Bobbi Uhl and Marissa Naylor.

Zamzow scored two double-bogeys and four bogeys on the front nine en route to a disappointing 85, finishing in third place.

Uhl, meanwhile, shot an impressive 77 to capture the championship.

“That was a different environment to be playing in when (Uhl and Naylor) were playing so well,” she recalled on a phone call Friday afternoon.

“It was almost intimidating.”

Zamzow will again be grouped with Naylor, captain of U of M’s women’s golf team, for the opening round today, but boasts a feeling of certainty, saying her game is strong right now.

The Swan River native is fresh off her first win of the season on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, posting 81 and 79 at Teulon Golf and Country Club last weekend.

While the title has served as a boost, she expressed excitement about competing against a more experienced field this week.

“This is definitely one of the more fun tournaments, playing with ladies and not just juniors,” she said. “It’s always really nice to play with different ladies that you never get to play with and play a brand new course that isn’t in Winnipeg.”

The key in competitive play, Zamzow explained, is not trying to match what other golfers are doing.

“You definitely have to keep playing your own game and not worry about the older ladies who are maybe either hitting further than you are or are more consistent.”

“That’s the difference between the people who are going to have a good day and the people who are going to have a bad day.”

Jared Ladobruk, executive director of Golf Manitoba, said La Broquerie Golf Course should prove to be a great test for golfers this weekend.

“We’re really excited to come back to La Broquerie,” he said. “It’s a golf course and a great community.”

“We’re excited to continue to run this event and provide opportunities for our female amateur golfers in competition. It’s an annual event that has been running for some time … and this is a great championship that we look forward to hosting every year.”

Zamzow, who started golfing when she was 8, projects to be in the mix for the championship again this year, as she looks to continue an impressive year.

Zamzow won silver at junior varsity provincials in badminton and golf, helping the high schooler win girl athlete of year honours at Swan Valley Regional Secondary School and MHSAA Manitoba Athlete of the Week among rural athletes.

As if that isn’t impressive enough, Zamzow is dominating athletics while holding a 97 per cent average in her classes.

Along with the Women’s City and District Championship, Zamzow said she hopes to win the junior national championship in Ottawa next month and represent Team Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games.

The Women’s City and District Championship will run concurrently with the Junior Bantam Championship and Golf Manitoba All Abilities Championship, all held at La Broquerie Golf Course.

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jfreysam