Meet Zac Wolfe, who recently became a world champion at age 6
Be it a prodigious golfer, pianist or maths whiz, there is nothing as remarkable as a gifted child. How can someone so young be so accomplished? It’s almost as if it is preordained or preprogrammed in the child.
Zac Wolfe is a precocious 6-year-old golfer who not only has tremendous physical capabilities but is working on his golf swing at an elite level. Understanding biomechanics and having the ability to make swing changes is advanced, even for the best in the game, let alone a child. Zac already has a list of accolades and trophies, but what his father Jeremy says is important is the friendships forged and life skills he is developing on his golf journey.
There is nothing more foundational than sport and all it provides; life lessons are taught, commitment and dedication are embraced and learning to deal with adversity. Zac is mature beyond his years, already living by the mantra “handle hard better”.
If it is not astonishing enough that a 6-year-old can compete in world championships and navigate golf courses like a pro, wait until you learn what is considered the new norm for young, aspiring children playing the game today. Children as young as 5 and 6 have entourages including a swing coach, a mental coach, a strength and conditioning trainer, their nutrition is monitored (salt tablets and recovery gels in the heat), as is every part of their game, from practice sessions to on-course play.
The game has changed drastically in the past 20 years thanks to Tiger Woods. Prior to the Tiger era, golf was mostly for country club kids in America; today it is a global sport and even children as young as Zac are experiencing an insatiable appetite for the game. What most people aren’t privy to is the professionalism of the junior tours and how progressive many countries are with their junior development programs. It is imperative Australia takes note as our children are the future of our game, and we are currently lagging behind in terms of resources and facilities available to them.
Zac is the current under-6 world champion, having won his section of the US Kids World Championship. He has tremendous potential and a bright future ahead of him. For now, Jeremy Wolfe is developing his talent with all resources possible and spending many days together at Melbourne’s Huntingdale Golf Club. No matter what the future has in store for Zac, it is truly a special time for father and son.
We asked his father, who works in a senior digital role in banking and is a 15-handicapper at Huntingdale, to answer some questions about himself and Zac.
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What’s the best thing about having a child you can play golf with? We’ve shared so many amazing experiences and had such great quality time that’s no doubt played a role in us having a very strong bond. Being able to travel together, work as a team and see him grow, learn, adapt and achieve is incredibly rewarding.
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What is Zac’s golf highlight to date? The entire week at Pinehurst for the 2022 US Kids World Championship was just phenomenal. His second round at the Australian Junior Age Championships under illness/duress was incredibly gritty and made me very proud (that’s when I realised that, mentally, he had another gear). His putt to force a playoff and then to win the playoff at the Australian Junior Age Championships was amazing, his poise under pressure was so impressive. His first round at Moonah Links (Open course) for the US Kids Australian Challenge in late 2021 was the best I’ve seen him drive the ball and he deliberately attacked pins under the wind. Finally, Zac’s hole-in-one at Rosebud Country Club at age 4 can’t be overlooked. It was a beautifully struck, drawing 7 iron that tracked the whole way.
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Do you like caddieing for Zac? It’s certainly grown on me, and I enjoy helping him chart out a course and devise a plan around his game. We’ve developed a good little system together and I love feeling part of his team.
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As Zac grows older, will you encourage him into other sports or be led by him and what he wants to do? It’s definitely led by Zac and he certainly plays a wide range of sports (from footy, tennis, cricket, soccer and basketball to emulating ice hockey on his roller skates in our hallway). At the moment we’re just trying to give him the best possible golf and general sporting foundation, so he has the best possible opportunity.
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What advice do you have for other parents with young kids that want to play golf? Ensuring they have role models around them, e.g. older kids, grandparents, friends, etc. that can offer guidance and make playing fun.
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What is Zac’s handicap? It’s 32 at Huntingdale Golf Club.
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How and when did Zac begin golf? Zac loved hitting balls around the living room as a toddler and had an innate ability with any type of bat and ball.
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Did you notice a special affinity versus his other sports/interests? We certainly noticed at an early age his amazing ability to understand his body mechanics and adapt, i.e. he’s very coachable. By the time he was walking, he had developed a full golf swing. During COVID when other team sports weren’t available, golf became a particularly enjoyable activity for us to partake in together, for example chipping games in the garden.
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Is there a family background of golf or other sports? Zac’s mum, Katherine, comes from a family of golfers. Her two brothers and both parents play. Katherine was also a handy player – a 10 to 12 handicapper – pre-kids and has many sporting interests. She recently completed two 70.3 Ironmans.
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Who has taught Zac? Sean Kirschenberg when he was about 3 years old. Sean was brilliant at introducing him to games that helped develop skills. Then came Peter Knight from when Zac was about 4-and-a-half to 6 years old. Peter has been incredible at helping build confidence, swing mechanics and Zac’s comprehension of his movements. He’s been with Richard Woodhouse since June 2022. Richard provides overarching mentorship and oversees all aspects of Zac’s game using various sport science tools and in accordance with a long-term development approach. We work together via virtual mediums and face-to-face sessions.
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At what age did you first take Zac onto the course? Zac had his first on-course experience at about 2. He loved hitting intentionally into bunkers and his sense of satisfaction when he holed out was infectious.
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What are Zac’s long-term goals? Zac aspires to win the Masters like Tiger (his words), with Tiger’s 2019 win at Augusta leaving a great impression. Zac is obsessed with college players that he has come across through his playing and travelling. He loves the idea of playing for your school as a team, training and studying together (plus he loves seeing the incredible practice facilities the big colleges have).
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What is next in store for Zac? There are some great US Kids local tour series events coming up around Melbourne (and similarly all along the east coast). With that said, we’re looking at the next few months as a good de-loading phase for Zac with far less playing and an opportunity to focus on improving certain gross motor mechanics. He’s also excited to be joining the local junior basketball club and to get his first taste of out-of-school team sport.
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How high is the standard of junior golf these days? We were completely blown away by how elite the international events were. In each age group it felt like there were up to 50 kids that on their day were capable of winning. The fields are insanely deep, scores very low, the level of coaching and training mind-blowing. Sans local US Kids events, Australia is well behind in terms of the playing opportunities and high-performance development programs available to younger juniors.
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What does his typical day look like? Leading into the world championship, Zac was practising five to six days a week, involving two to three 6:30am sessions before school, lots of swing and putting work at home and full Saturdays and Sundays at the course.
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Who are Zac’s golf idols? Tiger and Rory McIlroy are his biggest idols. He also really likes Will Zalatoris, Scottie Scheffler and all the Aussies, namely Cam Smith but also Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, etc.
Zac’s Championship week daily routine
At the hotel:
• Stretching and core work
• Gravity Fit equipment to activate golf muscles
• Swing rehearsals to promote swing feels
• Putting ruler drills to build confidence
• Posture work
• Breakfast
At the course (about two hours):
• More light stretching
• 30 minutes of shot shaping on the range
• An hour of putting – long, short, undulating and technical drills
• Play nine/18 tournament holes
Post-round:
• Post-round meal
• 30-60 minutes of swing practice
• Up to two hours of short-game practice
• Hotel downtime
