Grant High School student Zac Shanks has been selected to represent School Sport SA at the School Sport Australia Golf Championships in the Gold Coast from August 6-11.

Shanks will be the only regional golfer out of the 12 players selected to participate in the 18 Years and Under South Australian team.

The South East golfer will play at Robina Woods Golf Course, RAVC Rural Pines Resort Golf Course and Emerald Lakes Golf Club.

Shanks, 15, qualified at the Golf Individual Secondary Schools State Championship in Adelaide at The Vines Golf Club of Raynella where he won the A Grade Boys Nett.

He then nominated to represent School Sport SA with his performance at the School Sports Individual State Championship and other round performances taken into consideration.

The young gun said he has been playing golf since he was about five-years–old and officially picked up his first handicap at age 12.

“Dad is a golfer as well, so he got me some plastic sticks and some real ones when I was real little and then I have been hitting ever since really,” he said.

“My whole family is really supportive about it.

“Everyone is very supportive, everyone loves it and I have had so many messages and calls and people commenting on posts on Facebook.

“It has just been great to see all the support from making representative teams and performing well at my level.

“I am always out on the golf course when I can. This is the school state team, but I want to make the full-on state team.”

The golfing prodigy won the A Reserve Club Championship at Attamurra Golf Club this year and was runner up in 2022 for the C Grade Club Championship.

Shanks has been playing in the representative side for Country Districts Pennant in Adelaide and was part of the Golf South East team who emerged victorious in both the Brett Ogle Cup and the South Australian Country Junior Championships.