CALIFORNIA’S PACIFIC PALISADES – After a shaky front nine on Sunday, Joaquin Niemann put an end to any speculation about who would win the Genesis Invitational by chipping in from 45 feet off the green for eagle on the par-5 11th hole.
Niemann, who won by two strokes over Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young at Riviera Country Club, managed the bright lights of Los Angeles and overcame a sluggish start to coast to the finish line. Niemann became the Genesis’ first wire-to-wire winner since Hall of Famer Charlie Sifford in 1969, and the tournament’s second-youngest victor, thanks to his ball-striking clinic.
“Any week he’s on will be like this week,” said Carlos Ortiz of Mexico, who shared a mansion with the champion and joked that he was playing a different golf course this week.
Mito Pereira, a fellow Chilean Tour pro, stated, “This route was created for him.” “He’s a beast off the tee and with the irons, which is exactly what you need in this course.”
Niemann set a blistering pace in the opening two rounds with a pair of 63s, and he extended his lead with a 3-under 68 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead over Young, a 24-year-old freshman from Wake Forest University, heading into the final round in Tinseltown.
On Saturday, Niemann stated, “I’m having the time of my life.”
That included the putter as well. Niemann, who came into the week rated No. 154 in Strokes Gained: Putting for the season, was having a great time on Riviera’s poa greens, finishing third after three rounds. For the first 46 holes, he was 21 under par. However, his sense of line and pace with the short stick failed him early on Sunday. He bogeyed after missing a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 6 and then missing a 60-foot birdie putt 17 feet short on No. 7. His advantage had been reduced to one.
That’s when Niemann’s acrobatics saved the day. At the eighth hole, he hit a lob wedge to 7 feet and sank the putt, while Young overcooked his approach and made bogey. His cushion was back to three in the blink of an eye, and it increased to five when Niemann chipped in for the eagle at 11. Niemann had to face one more rough stretch, making back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 14 and 15. He finished last of the 75 players who played the weekend on the day, but he did enough to win his second PGA Tour title with a 72-hole total of 19-under 265, one stroke behind the event scoring record set by Lanny Wadkins in 1985.
Young tied for second place with Morikawa, who shot 65 and holed a pitch for eagle at No. 10 on his way to a runner-up finish in just 12 Tour outings.
Niemann became the first Chilean Tour winner and the first under-21 international Tour winner since Rory McIlroy and Seve Ballesteros when he won the 2019 A Military Tribute at Greenbrier by six shots. “Yeah, it feels like forever, actually,” he remarked when asked if it had been a long time since he had tasted triumph.
Niemann’s brilliance is just beginning to bloom, as evidenced by his dominating performance this week.
Sergio Garcia commented, “He’s got a lot of game.” “He’s capable of completing any task.” He’s still young, but he’ll accomplish amazing things.”
