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University of North Carolina Athletics
Q&A With Tar Heel Golfer Henry Zaytoun III
September 16, 2009 | Men's Golf
Sept. 16, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Tar Heel golfer Henry Zaytoun III captured a share of the individual title at the Maryland Intercollegiate last weekend and led the Tar Heels to a team title as well. Zaytoun, a junior from Raleigh, fired the daily low round in both the first and final rounds of play. Zaytoun took time to sit down with Courtney Stern and answer some questions for TarHeelBlue.com after the tournament.
THB: What were your thoughts going into the final round of play at the Maryland Collegiate?
Zaytoun: Through two rounds, I was at four-under, two shots off the lead and in a tie for fourth. I thought before the round I would have to get to at least eight under to have a chance at the individual title and also to give us a shot at the team title. Even though it had been a while since I'd won a tournament, I was very comfortable all morning in my warm-up and felt confident about my game.
THB: How did it feel to not only get an individual win, but a team win as well?
Zaytoun: The team win is always paramount when we go to golf tournaments. Even though golf is a very individual sport, it is always a great feeling to play well as a team and represent the University of North Carolina. The team win was much needed, considering we hadn't won a tournament in two years, and it has given us a different and more positive outlook on the rest of the season. The individual win was icing on the cake; I hadn't won a significant tournament since I was a junior golfer, and it has given me confidence that I can use for the rest of the season.
THB: What was the toughest shot you had to make in the tournament?
Zaytoun: Without a doubt, the tee shot on the par-3 eighth hole. It is two hundred yards long with water on the right and a bunker on the left. This hole played tough for everyone, but I was able to hit three good shots and birdie it every day. That helped me pick up a lot of shots on the field.
THB: Were you aware on the final hole of how you needed to do to win or tie for first? What was going through your head during the hole?
Zaytoun: I was in the last group, so Ben [Kohle] had already finished as I was coming up 18. I had no clue where I was in the individual race or how the team was doing at this point, but I felt that if I could birdie the last hole and finish at seven under, I would have a good chance at the win as well as a team victory. I tried to take the hole one shot at a time, which can be hard when you think you need to make a birdie. It is a tough tee shot, with water close on the left and trees right, so I really concentrated on hitting the fairway. Once I did that, I was able to set up a six-foot putt for birdie that I was able to knock down.
THB: Have you competed against Kohle before?
Zaytoun: Over the years Ben and I have played a lot of golf, both at the junior and the collegiate level. He is a solid player, and going into the last round he was one of the guys that I figured would be in it at the end.
THB: If you had one shot you could replay in the tournament to have won the individual title outright, what shot would it have been and why?
Zaytoun: I try not to think about things like that, because they can drive you crazy. I missed a three-foot putt on the 13th hole that I would have liked to have made, but there were also a bunch of tough putts that I made on the last day. I wouldn't replay any shot, because I gave each shot my full effort and concentration, and in the end that's all you can do.
THB: What are you and the team doing to prepare for the next tournament?
Zaytoun: We're trying not to do anything differently. The big thing that we must avoid as a team is getting too complacent. It is always great to win the first tournament, because that means we can still win them all. But the competition is only going to get stronger, and we have to redouble our efforts in order to perform at the same level.
THB: What is the best thing about being a Tar Heel?
Zaytoun: Being a part of the Carolina family and the athletic tradition. Across the board, the University has had so many tremendous athletes represented in every sport. It is an honor and a privilege to be a member of such a special group of people.
THB: Do you have any rituals or superstitions before a round?
Zaytoun: I wouldn't say that I have superstitions, but I definitely have a routine that I stick to before every round. Golf is a game where unexpected things happen on almost every hole, and the more things that you can keep the same, the better equipped you are to handle all of the crazy situations. So I warm up with the same clubs, mark my ball the same way, and do the same routine before every shot.
THB: What inspired you to pick up a golf club?
Zaytoun: I started playing golf when I was eight, when my dad took me out to the course. I started imitating his swing, and went from there. Two years later I was playing my first competitive tournament.
THB: What did you work on over the summer to improve your game?
Zaytoun: I've always had a very solid short game, and it has carried me throughout my career when I was hitting the ball poorly. The one thing that I knew I could improve on from observing my competitors was driving the golf ball better. You can't make birdies with your driver, but you can make double bogeys, and those really hurt your score so I concentrated on hitting it in the fairway.
Zaytoun and the Carolina men's golf team tee off next at the Gary Koch Invitational Oct. 3-4 in Tampa, Fla. The 54-hole event will be played at Old Memorial Golf Club there.
Players Mentioned
