The 24-year-old golf professional, Wilco Nienaber, who hails from Bloemfontein, banked over R1 million on Sunday by winning the 2025 NTT DATA Pro-Am at the iconic Fancourt in George.
Nienaber has become just the fourth player in history to win the prestigious tournament for a second time, following in the footsteps of Nick Price (Zimbabwe), Darren Fichardt, and Ollie Bekker. Price remains the only player to have successfully defended the title.
Rounds of 60, 66, 66, and 70 set Nienaber up for a tournament tally of 27-under-par and a seven-stroke victory. During the tournament, played across the Montagu, Outeniqua, and Links courses, Nienaber recorded just one bogey over the 72 holes.
The win was significant for Nienaber as it extends his exemption on the European Tour for a few more years, after it was initially set to expire at the end of the year.
Nienaber, who previously won the famous eagle trophy back in 2021, said that at this stage, he is happy with where his game is but emphasised the importance of continuous improvement.
“I’m feeling very good, and I’m improving all the time – that is all I can really ask for,” said Nienaber.
“This win is very different. The last one was during Covid, so no one was really here, which makes this pretty cool. My exemption was going to run out at the end of this season, but I’ve got a few more years now. I’ve already planned my season, so I’m just going to stick with what I was going to do.”
Nienaber is scheduled to play in the Kenya Open in Nairobi this week, and he is also entered to compete in next week’s SA Open at the Durban Country Club. – MORGAN PIEK
