Announced by the NCAA, Jonathan Nielsen will receive a $10,000 Jim McKay Scholarship, awarded by the NCAA to college athletes who demonstrate achievement in sports communications or public relations or hope to contribute to the field.
Nielsen graduated in May with a degree in sports communications.
The McKay Scholarship was created in 2008 to honor pioneer sports journalist Jim McKay. The recipients are selected by the NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship Committee.
Nielsen ended his undergraduate studies with a 3.80 GPA and finished tied for 40th after 54 holes in the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships this season.
Nielsen is a native of Copenhagen, Denmark. The first semester of his college career was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, but he used that time to focus on academics.
He plans to obtain a master’s degree in sports communication to achieve a long-term goal of being involved with a sports organization at the professional level.
“Without having college golf to shape my personal values of integrity and dedication, I am uncertain I would have been as successful in academics,” Nielsen said. “The correlation between athletic and academic performance is undeniable in my journey through college, and I will continue pursuing excellence in all areas because of this.”
