Dunedin teenager Duncan Croudis will get a head-start from a golfing knight in his bid to embark on a professional career.
Croudis has been awarded the Sir Bob Charles Scholarship, an annual endowment established with funds donated by New Zealand's greatest golfer.
He will get financial assistance both to attend the University of Otago this year and to work on his golfing education.
Croudis (18) was at the New Zealand Open at The Hills last week working as a caddy for Dunedin professional Mahal Pearce, who carded 71 and 73 to miss the cut by two strokes.
A review of Croudis' achievements over the past 12 months suggests it will not be long before he plays in the tournament himself.
The recent Otago Boys High School pupil won the New Zealand under-19 title at the North Shore club in September.
He then placed second in his age group at the Aaron Baddeley international event in China.
Croudis nearly qualified for the New Zealand Open when he missed out on a play-off at the qualifying tournament by one shot.
Danny Lee and David Smail were the other major winners at the New Zealand Golf awards function in Queenstown on Saturday night.
Lee, who won the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth at the start of 2009, was named golfer of the year.
Smail, who finished the year as the only New Zealander ranked inside the world top 100, took the award for PGA of New Zealand professional player of the year.
Garth Domigan, of Wanaka, was also honoured for defending his club professional title in October.
Peter Spearman-Burn (Wellington) and Cecilia Cho (Auckland) were named amateurs of the year.
