EACH DAY A LITTLE BETTER

 “When I first joined my parents to the golf course at Best Golf & Country club, I was eight years old.  At that time playing golf wasn’t yet my favorite game.  I loved playing tennis, soccer and hockey too. And speed skating was what I enjoyed in wintertime”.

Today 21 year old Marieke Nivard is on Ladies European Tour. She won two events on the Ladies European Tour Access Series 2011 and the 2011 LETAS Order of Merit. 

2011

Marieke starts her professional carreer in 2011 both on the Ladies European Tour and the Ladies European Tour Access Series. Her maiden victory as a professional player was at the Trophee Preven's (LETAS) in October. She posted a total of -8 to take the title by three strokes.  She captured her second win of the season in December at the Azores Ladies Open (LETAS) coming from six shots behind the overnight leader. This win moved her up to the number one spot on the 2011 LETAS Order of Merit. This got her a full LET status for

2012. 

2003 - 2009

At the start of her secondary school career, Marieke decided as from now to fully concentrate on playing golf.  She was then 12 years old.  Leaving her other sports, she completed all NGF Dutch national teams between
 

2000 – 2009.

In 2004 Marieke won the Dutch National championship under 15, her first national title. Two years later, sixteen years of age, Marieke became the Dutch National Champion under 18 and  won the Dutch National Ladies Open.

After finishing her A-levels in 2007, it was decision- time again: continue studying and go to university or go for a professional golf career?

‘ I decided to go for a golf career. It felt like the best and most natural option,  for I’ve always kept clear golf  goals in mind.  I made a plan, my personal program by fitting my goals into a time schedule.  I set my mind on reaching the top gradually, taking small strides’. 

Marieke won her first international titles in 2008: the German Girls Open and the Duke of York Young Championships. And according to plan she completed the Dutch National Team to play the 2008 World Championships in Australia. In that same year Marieke was awarded the Dutch NOC*NSF A-Status.

Her third international victory, winning the Copa Sotogrande, was a promising start of 2009. Marieke won the Dutch Spring Games this season, and later the Dutch National Championships under 21. More significant was the title of best amateur at the ABNAMRO Ladies Open in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Marieke finished 14^th and was best Dutch competitor at the tournament. Marieke got picked for the European Team and competed in the 2009 Vagliano Trophy which her team won over Great-Brittain and Ireland.  She then won the Turkish Amateur Open in September and finished second at the official EGA European Ranking 2009.