Joaquin Niemann didn’t beat Lanny Wadkins’ course record, but he did win the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on Sunday for his second PGA Tour victory. From the last round in Pacific Palisades, California, here’s everything you need to know:
Joaquin Niemann (-19), Collin Morikawa (-17), Cameron Young (-17), Viktor Hovland (-14), Adam Scott are the current leaders (-14)
How it happened: Standing on the 18th green on a Sunday evening, Niemann perfectly summed up the situation. “It felt like a month this weekend,” he remarked. After back-to-back 63s, he blasted out to a record-breaking 36-hole lead and then set a new 54-hole tournament record at 19 under, giving him a three-shot lead over Young heading into Sunday’s final round. After a chip-in eagle on the par-5 11th hole, the lead had grown to six strokes.
It looked good all the way. 👏@JoacoNiemann chips in on No. 11 for his third eagle of the week.
He leads by SIX. pic.twitter.com/W1ncxPIisq
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 20, 2022
But after bogeys at Nos. 14 and 15 (the latter on a nasty lip-out from 5 feet), Niemann was just two strokes ahead of Young, who chipped in for birdie at No. 15. Morikawa also made a move up front, birdieing Nos. 16 and 17 to close the gap to two. Both threats, however, were quickly dispelled. Young bogeyed the par-3 16th hole after hitting the front bunker, while Morikawa’s 10-footer for birdie at the par-4 18th hole just missed. Niemann finished with three easy pars and a final score of even par 71.
What it means: Niemann now has two scoring records at the Genesis, but he couldn’t beat Wadkins’ 20-under winning total in relation to par from the 1985 event at Riviera, which is the longest-standing 72-hole record on Tour. Niemann, who is more than 13 years younger than Wadkins, had gotten it down to 21 under the previous day. As a consolation prize, he became the tournament’s fourth and first wire-to-wire champion since Charlie Sifford in 1969. Niemann’s second Tour victory comes just a few years after his first, which he won by six strokes at the 2019 Greenbrier.
Morikawa started the day eight shots adrift before shooting a 6-under 65 and ending two shots behind Niemann, capped by a hole-out eagle at the par-4 10th hole and five subsequent birdies.
Shot of the day: Niemann’s chip-in eagle on No. 11 was impressive, but Morikawa’s hole-out eagle on No. 10 was even better.
Collin was just really eager to do this.😲 https://t.co/r6nAsvME8i pic.twitter.com/T4FRncEI75
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 20, 2022
Justin Thomas has been the biggest letdown. Thomas, who started the round five strokes off the lead, scored only one birdie following a birdie on the easy par-5 first hole.
