WETHERSFIELD >> Zach Zaback was on his way to becoming a two-time State Amateur champion Friday afternoon when he struck the defining shot of the 114th edition of the championship — and one of the most notable in the history of Wethersfield Country Club.


Zaback (above) struck a driver off the 332-yard first hole, his 19th of the day in the 36-hole final. He not only drove the green, but the ball kicked in the right direction — into the hole for a double-eagle.


“I was going to look away, thinking it was probably going to be just short, but it kept rolling, kept rolling, went on the green then it just disappeared,” Zaback said. “I couldn’t believe it at first. I was like, ‘I think that went in.’”



The shot put Zaback, a member at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, 7 up in the match. Zaback closed out Corey Birch (Silver Spring CC in Ridgefield) on the 29th hole. Birch missed a birdie putt, then conceded Zaback’s birdie from a shorter distance to give Zaback the 9 and 7 victory.

MORE ON ZABACK'S SECOND STATE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP