On Sunday, he carded a final round of two-under-par 70 on the challenging Montagu Course to close on 27-under-par for a seven-stroke victory.

The 24-year-old Nienaber dominated from start to finish with an opening round of 60, back-to-back 66s, and a 70 to pocket over R1.1 million in winnings. There is no doubt that this was one of the young player’s most dominant performances to date and should give him a lot of confidence going forward on the European Tour.

Wilco Nienaber. Photo: Sunshine Tour

Nienaber joins a very elite club of players who have lifted the coveted and colossal eagle trophy, with the others being Nick Price (1997, 1998) of Zimbabwe, as well as Darren Fichardt (2004, 2010) and Ollie Bekker (2012, 2023).

Nienaber’s previous victory came in 2021, and this was a challenge in its own right due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Jean-Paul Strydom finished seven strokes off the lead for second on 20-under-par, while Per Langfors (Sweden), Samuel Jones (New Zealand), and Jacques Blaauw finished in a tie for third on 18 under par.

Following his win, Nienaber admitted that it was an emotional victory as his grandfather was ill.

“It’s not going well with my grandfather – he’s currently in a step-down facility and has been diagnosed with cancer,” said Nienaber, who matriculated at Grey College in Bloemfontein.

“It’s been a tough time because we are a tight family. I went and saw him on Monday before this tournament. He has played a big role in my career. He was always there and has always loved his sport. He would’ve been here today if he could’ve been.”

Nienaber added that he is more than satisfied with his performance during the week, especially as it was a dominant display and he recorded only one bogey over the 72 holes.

Danielle du Toit. Photo: Sunshine Tour

“It’s very cool to have them all here. This was a good performance. I wanted to get to 30 under par, but I’m proud of myself,” he said.

“It’s awesome. You dream of it. It’s nice to have a big lead like I did, but you can’t really ever settle. It’s always in the back of your mind to not make a mistake. It’s nice to win early in the year, though.”

Meanwhile, Danielle du Toit beat the legendary Lee-Anne Pace in a playoff to win the women’s tournament.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg