Wilco Nienaber exhibited a remarkable display of frontrunning to secure a convincing seven-stroke wire-to-wire victory and his second NTT DATA Pro Am title at Fancourt Golf Estate.
The South African entered the final round with a six-shot advantage and he never looked like being caught as he carded a two under par round of 70 to finish on 27 under, seven ahead of countryman Jean-Paul Strydom in second.
The 24-year-old secured his maiden HotelPlanner Tour title at the NTT DATA Pro Am in 2021 and he was delighted to get his hands on the iconic eagle trophy once again, following in the footsteps of Oliver Bekker, Darren Fichardt and Nick Price in winning the event twice.
“I’m feeling so relieved and I’m also very proud of myself,” he said. “It’s been a while since I won but I knew that I could do it again and I’ve just proved that to myself.
“I tried to keep my focus, but it was at the back of my mind that a had quite a nice lead. Jacques (Blaauw) was putting very nicely and made a few very nice birdies. I could only relax after my tee shot on 18.
“I was a little bit more conservative with my approach play into the greens but it’s a strong golf course and I knew anything could happen. It got a little bit windy towards the end too. This win feels so different to 2021 and it’s pretty cool.”
Nienaber, who earned his DP World Tour playing privileges at Qualifying School at the end of last year, was delighted to triumph on home soil and heads into next week’s Magical Kenya Open full of confidence.
“I’m feeling very good with my game at the moment and this win sets me up nicely for the season,” he said. “I’m looking forward to spending some time with my family before getting ready for Kenya tomorrow.”
South African Blaauw finished third alongside Sam Jones from New Zealand and Swede Per Längfors on 18 under par, while South Africa’s JC Ritchie and English duo Eddie Pepperell and Jamie Rutherford were a shot further back in sixth.
Nienaber catapults to second place on the Road to Mallorca Rankings on 408.2 points, while Daniel van Tonder remains in pole position on 742.4 following his back-to-back victories at the start of the season. Rutherford occupies third position on 386.66 points, while Jones and Liam Nolan from Ireland make up the top five.
The Road to Mallorca now takes a one-month break before heading to India for the Kolkata Challenge at Royal Calcutta Golf Club taking place from March 13-16, 2025.
