SAs Nienaber presented with Ballesteros Award

South African former number one amateur and 2019 SA Amateur champion Wilco Nienaber was presented with the inaugural Seve Scholarship award in Amsterdam.

Nienaber received the scholarship during The Champions Dinner of the 100th KLM Dutch Open, hosted in the impressive Masters Hall in the Rijksmuseum, on Monday.

Reigning SA Amateur champion Wilco Nienaber receives the inaugural Seve Scholarship award from Javier Ballesteros, son of the Spanish legend Seve, after whom the award is named; credit Jan-Kees Steenman.

The 19-year-old professional from Bloemfontein was presented with the scholarship by Javier Ballesteros, son of the Spanish legend Seve, after whom the award is named. Ballesteros won 50 European Tour events, including five Majors, but it was at the Dutch Open, in 1976, where he won his first pro tournament. He went on to win the Dutch Open three times.

The scholarship provides full support for Nienaber during his week under invitation as a professional at the KLM Dutch Open, which celebrates 100 years this year and begins on Thursday.

The former GolfRSA National Squad member last year became the first South African to win the seeding round for the Amateur Championship since a 36-hole qualifying round was established in 1983.

Nienaber joined the pro ranks in July and enjoyed a tie for 11th pay-day in his debut in the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge on the European Challenge Tour.

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