de Villiers, a native of Akasia, South Africa, graduated in 2007 from Akasia HS. The son of Kobus and Susan de Villiers, he was the Akasia Country Club's junior champion from 2005-2007 and was runner-up at the Senior Club Championships in 2007.

He has represented Akasia CC's first team from 2007-2009 and represented his province at the Under-16 and Under-18 levels.

A five-year member of his school's first team, he lost only one match during that time and finished second on three occasions in South African Junior Golf Foundation competitions. This past spring, de Villiers completed a Level 3 golf coaching course from the South African Golf Teachers Federation.

A late starter, de Villiers did not take up the game of golf until the age of 12, but turned in his first round of under par at the age of 15. He has a career-best 18-hole score of six-under 66 and has finished five-under on nine holes on four different occasions.

A top student, de Villiers graduated from Akasia HS with three distinctions, finished in the top 12 of his class, and was top ten in his class from grades 8-11. He was awarded honorary colors from grades 8-11 and received an honor for having the highest grade in Civil Technology.

de Villiers was also named Head Boy at his primary school in 2002 and at his high school in 2007.

"We are thrilled that Adriaan has chosen to attend William Penn and continue his golf career as a Statesmen," Steinlage said. "He has all the qualities we are looking for in a student-athlete and we believe he will have a profound impact on our program and our university."