CHILE'S JOAQUIN NIEMANN HAS COMPLETED A PHENOMENAL WIRE-TO-WIRE VICTORY AT RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB, WINNING THE GENESIS INVITATIONAL AND JOINING THE LEGENDS OF THE GAME AFTER A FINAL ROUND OF 71 GAVE HIM A 2-STROKE WINNING MARGIN OVER PGA TOUR ROOKIE CAMERON YOUNG AND WORLD NUMBER TWO COLLIN MORIKAWA.
NIEMANN THREATENED TO BLOW THE FIELD AWAY WITH BACK-TO-BACK ROUNDS OF 63 TO SET THE RECORD-LOW 36-HOLE TOTAL IN THE HISTORY OF THE TOURNAMENT, AND A SATURDAY ROUND OF 68 GAVE HIM A 3-SHOT LEAD COMING INTO SUNDAY. THE CHASING PACK HAD A LOT OF WORK TO DO IF THEY WERE GOING TO OVERHAUL THE YOUNGSTER, AND DESPITE A ROUND OF 65 FROM THE OPEN CHAMPION MORIKAWA, NOBODY COULD OVERHAUL THE 2019 GREENBRIER CHAMPION.
6 PARS TO START HIS FINAL ROUND WERE MADE THROUGH A RAZOR-SHARP SHORT GAME, AND EVEN AFTER A BOGEY AT THE 7TH HE BOUNCED STRAIGHT BACK AT THE 8TH WITH BIRDIE, AND AFTER A SPECTACULAR PITCH IN FOR EAGLE AT THE 11TH HE HELD A FIVE STROKE LEAD AND THE FORMER WORLD NUMBER ONE AMATEUR HAD ONE HAND ON THE TROPHY. BOGEYS AT 14 AND 15 LEFT THE DOOR SLIGHTLY AJAR FOR COLLIN MORIKAWA, BUT THE 2021 DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPION COULD ONLY PAR THE 18TH TO FINISH THE TOURNAMENT AT 17-UNDER-PAR, LEAVING NIEMANN ABLE TO MAKE BOGEY AND STILL WIN.
A SOLID STRIKE INTO THE HEART OF THE 72ND GREEN GAVE THE CHILEAN STAR A COMFORTABLE LOOK AT A 2-PUTT FOR PAR AND VICTORY IN ONE OF GOLF'S GREATEST THEATRES.
THE VICTORY WAS BUILT ON DOMINANT PLAY OVER THE FIRST TWO DAYS AND RESILIENT PLAY OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS, AND HIS SHORT GAME WAS TRULY SENSATIONAL, AND NIEMANN DEFINITELY NOW SHOULD BE TALKED ABOUT IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS VIKTOR HOVLAND AND THE OTHER YOUNG TALENTS OF THE WORLD. WITH THE MASTERS GETTING EVER CLOSER THERE IS NO QUESTION JOAQUIN HAS THE ABILITY TO ADD VICTORY AT AUGUSTA TO GLORY AT RIVIERA.
NIEMANN THREATENED TO BLOW THE FIELD AWAY WITH BACK-TO-BACK ROUNDS OF 63 TO SET THE RECORD-LOW 36-HOLE TOTAL IN THE HISTORY OF THE TOURNAMENT, AND A SATURDAY ROUND OF 68 GAVE HIM A 3-SHOT LEAD COMING INTO SUNDAY. THE CHASING PACK HAD A LOT OF WORK TO DO IF THEY WERE GOING TO OVERHAUL THE YOUNGSTER, AND DESPITE A ROUND OF 65 FROM THE OPEN CHAMPION MORIKAWA, NOBODY COULD OVERHAUL THE 2019 GREENBRIER CHAMPION.
6 PARS TO START HIS FINAL ROUND WERE MADE THROUGH A RAZOR-SHARP SHORT GAME, AND EVEN AFTER A BOGEY AT THE 7TH HE BOUNCED STRAIGHT BACK AT THE 8TH WITH BIRDIE, AND AFTER A SPECTACULAR PITCH IN FOR EAGLE AT THE 11TH HE HELD A FIVE STROKE LEAD AND THE FORMER WORLD NUMBER ONE AMATEUR HAD ONE HAND ON THE TROPHY. BOGEYS AT 14 AND 15 LEFT THE DOOR SLIGHTLY AJAR FOR COLLIN MORIKAWA, BUT THE 2021 DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPION COULD ONLY PAR THE 18TH TO FINISH THE TOURNAMENT AT 17-UNDER-PAR, LEAVING NIEMANN ABLE TO MAKE BOGEY AND STILL WIN.
A SOLID STRIKE INTO THE HEART OF THE 72ND GREEN GAVE THE CHILEAN STAR A COMFORTABLE LOOK AT A 2-PUTT FOR PAR AND VICTORY IN ONE OF GOLF'S GREATEST THEATRES.
THE VICTORY WAS BUILT ON DOMINANT PLAY OVER THE FIRST TWO DAYS AND RESILIENT PLAY OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS, AND HIS SHORT GAME WAS TRULY SENSATIONAL, AND NIEMANN DEFINITELY NOW SHOULD BE TALKED ABOUT IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS VIKTOR HOVLAND AND THE OTHER YOUNG TALENTS OF THE WORLD. WITH THE MASTERS GETTING EVER CLOSER THERE IS NO QUESTION JOAQUIN HAS THE ABILITY TO ADD VICTORY AT AUGUSTA TO GLORY AT RIVIERA.
Enrique Berardi/PGA TOUR
NIEMANN IS COACHED BY IRISHMAN STEPHEN SWEENEY, SWEENEY HAS BECOME RENOWNED AS ONE OF THE BEST PUTTING COACHES IN THE WORLD OF GOLF AND HAS WORKED WITH SEVERAL PLAYERS ON THE PGA AND DP WORLD TOURS OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS INCLUDING SHANE LOWRY AND WINNER OF THE 2022 FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN, LUKE LIST AS WELL AS MITO PEREIRA, ADAM SVENSSON AND YUXIN LIN. SWEENEY WAS A TEACHING PROFESSIONAL AT THE ST ANDREWS LINKS ACADEMY FROM 2008 TO 2011, HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AS AN ASSISTANT AT ROYAL COUNTY DOWN BEFORE MOVING TO DUBAI IN 2006 TO WORK AT THE MONTGOMERIE, DUBAI. IN 2011 HE HAD A BRIEF SPELL AT LOUGH ERNE GOLF RESORT BEFORE A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PERIOD AT THE PRESTIGIOUS GUT LARCHENHOF CLUB NEAR COLOGNE IN GERMANY FROM 2011 TO 2018. STEPHEN ALSO WORKED WITH MIKAEL LUNDBERG, JENS DANTORP, MAX KIEFFER AMONG OTHERS IN HIS EARLY CAREER.
NIEMANN'S WIN IN THE GENESIS INVITATIONAL MOVES HIM INSIDE THE WORLD'S TOP 20, AND HE IS BY FAR THE HIGHEST RANKED OF SOUTH AMERICAN GOLFERS, WITH THE NEXT HIGHEST BEING COLOMBIA'S SEBASTIAN MUNOZ, WHO IS RANKED 71ST.
IN OTHER NEWS RORY MCILROY FINISHED IN A TIE FOR 10TH PLACE, HIS 170TH OFFICIAL WORLDWIDE TOP 10 SINCE TURNING PROFESSIONAL IN 2007. A REMARKABLE 49.85% OF STARTS INSIDE THE TOP 10 FOR THE FORMER WORLD NUMBER ONE.
NIEMANN'S WIN IN THE GENESIS INVITATIONAL MOVES HIM INSIDE THE WORLD'S TOP 20, AND HE IS BY FAR THE HIGHEST RANKED OF SOUTH AMERICAN GOLFERS, WITH THE NEXT HIGHEST BEING COLOMBIA'S SEBASTIAN MUNOZ, WHO IS RANKED 71ST.
IN OTHER NEWS RORY MCILROY FINISHED IN A TIE FOR 10TH PLACE, HIS 170TH OFFICIAL WORLDWIDE TOP 10 SINCE TURNING PROFESSIONAL IN 2007. A REMARKABLE 49.85% OF STARTS INSIDE THE TOP 10 FOR THE FORMER WORLD NUMBER ONE.
