Lincoln, NE – The Nebraska Section PGA has announced Shane Zywiec, PGA of Highlands Golf Course as the Wilson Sporting Goods Monthly Game Ball recipient for the month of October.
The mission statement of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is to ignite the true potential in every athlete, and no one does it better than PGA Professionals when it comes to growing the game of golf. Speaking on the lines of igniting potential, Zywiec strives to do that on a daily basis with his students he teaches the game to.
Zywiec has been the Director of Instruction at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln for 20 years and on average, he teaches more than 200 students in a season. Zywiec teaches students of all skill levels, from amateurs simply trying to enjoy the game to competitive golfers trying to turn golf into a career.
“It’s gratifying to watch my students progress at every level, whether it’s trying to become a collegiate golfer or being able to enjoy social golf with friends and family”, said Zywiec.
Over time, Zywiec has grown a strong passion for working with competitive golfers and he enjoys working alongside the player as they try to make their dreams come true. One of Zywiec’s longtime students is Brandon Crick of McCook, Nebraska. Crick just completed his 7th full season on the Korn Ferry Tour, which is one step below the PGA TOUR. Crick finished in the top-40 on the season-long points list and retained his full time status on the tour ahead of the 2025 season.
“I love my purpose of helping competitive golfers improve, and it brings me tremendous satisfaction helping them achieve their goals in the game of golf”, said Zywiec.
On a more local level, Zywiec has and continues to make a large impact within the Nebraska High School Boys golf scene. Maguire Stanton, Jaxson Hinze, Max Moss and Cameron Sanne are perfect examples of high school boys that he works with that have improved drastically. All four players posted personal best rounds in 2024 and they enjoyed successful seasons this past spring in high school golf.
Junior golf has elevated across Nebraska in recent years and a big reason for that is the dedication, time and effort Nebraska PGA Members have put towards teaching. Zywiec is a great example of exactly that.
“What the Nebraska PGA and my fellow PGA Members have accomplished in the junior golf space across Nebraska is amazing. I know for a fact there are more juniors in Nebraska playing competitively and collegiately than ever before”, said Zywiec.
In addition to teaching, Zywiec has had an impressive playing career himself since becoming a PGA Member, both within the Section and nationally. The biggest event annually for PGA Members across the country is the PGA Professional Championship. Zywiec has qualified for that event nine times in his career. In addition, he’s won several Professional events in the Section and claimed low-Pro honors on multiple occasions in various Pro-Ams. Since becoming a teacher, Zywiec believes the process has led to an improvement in his own game.
“Sometimes I see things my students are working on and it implies to something I need to work on myself. I think it’s definitely made me a better player”, said Zywiec.
For example, recently Zywiec was working with his student Nate Vontz, who was a collegiate golfer at Creighton University and is now striving to make it in the professional space. At a lesson a couple weeks ago, Zywiec noticed Vontz’s club face was too closed at address and in the process of fixing that, he took what they worked on to fix his own issue he was having with face angle.
Over time, Zywiec has been a sponge for information about the golf swing and he’s always striving to improve as both a teacher and a player. Along with that and the successes his students are having at all levels, Zywiec was more than deserving of this honor.
“I really appreciate the recognition and it means a great deal to me as a PGA Professional to have my peers honor me in this way. I will continue to put in the work to learn to become a better teacher and coach by the day. I am honored to accept this award from the Nebraska PGA and Wilson Sporting Goods”, said Zywiec.
Nominations for the next Wilson Sporting Goods Monthly Game Ball will open on November 1st and will close at 11:59 PM on November 15th.
About the Nebraska Section PGA
The Nebraska Section PGA is a non-for-profit organization comprised of over 300 PGA Members and PGA Associates who strive to promote the enjoyment and growth of the game of golf. The Nebraska Section PGA encompasses the entire State of Nebraska, western fifth of Iowa and a small portion of South Dakota including Dakota Dunes and Yankton. The Section office is located in Lincoln, NE and acts as a resource for local and national golf information for the golf professional and amateur player alike. Our members are often referred to as “Club Professionals”, not to be mistaken as PGA Tour Professionals.
Each Nebraska Section PGA Professional serves as an expert in the ever-changing business of golf. They are the leading expert players and teachers, skilled business managers, community leaders, and superior merchandisers who have dedicated their careers to the local delivery of these services.