Date: April 12, 2017
Author: Mark Hayes

Louis lands second Smith scholarship

For the second successive year, Louis Dobbelaar has been awarded the Cameron Smith Scholarship.

As part of his ongoing commitment to the Golf Australia "Give Back" culture, Smith, 23, will give an annual $12,500 sponsorship to a player he and GA's high performance team jointly select.

Dobbelaar, 15, put the inaugural scholarship last year to good use, becoming the youngest ever winner of the New Zealand Amateur title in Wellington in October.

And the joint Brisbane and Brookwater golf club member was thrilled that Smith had again seen him fit to be the scholarship winner.

"I'm absolutely honoured to receive the award," beamed Dobbelaar, also a member of the Queensland Academy of Sport squad.

"The funding will definitely open more doors for travelling and coaching.

"Cam is a guy I respect so highly and I'll be doing my best to follow in his footsteps.

"The support from Golf Queensland and Golf Australia has helped my development so much, and wouldn't be able to do anywhere near as much without them."

Smith, enjoying a solid season on the US PGA Tour, was excited to give the award to his fellow Queenslander.

"Congratulations, Louis, on receiving the scholarship for the second successive year," he said.

"You have had another fantastic year, highlighted by becoming the youngest winner of the NZ Amateur. "I look forward to following your progress this year and into the future – keep up the hard work."

Golf Australia high performance director Brad James was enthused for Dobbelaar, but also excited that the culture of "Give Back" continued to gather momentum.

"It's fantastic for Louis to get this support and we fully commend the effort he continues to do to improve his game as he matures physically," James said.

"And we are thrilled that Cam continues to dedicate his time, attention and money to the next wave of athletes coming through behind him.

"It shows who he is and is also a great tribute to what we're trying to achieve with `Give Back' as it progresses.

"The more help we can get from those who've gone before the current generation, the more likely we are to build a stronger future for Australian golf."