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LIV golfer Joaquin Niemann gets special invitation to 2024 Masters

The chilean is the only player from liv golf to get an exemption to this year's masters, by doug ferguson | the associated press • published february 21, 2024.

Joaquin Niemann competed outside LIV Golf in his offseason and got something money can’t buy. He was among three players given a special invitation Wednesday to play in the Masters .

Augusta National also invited 21-year-old Ryo Hisatsune, the first Japanese player to be European tour rookie of the year, and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark.

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Nieman had said when he won the LIV Golf opener in Mexico, “I want to win majors, but I've got to get in first.” The 25-year-old from Chile had fallen well outside the top 50 in the world ranking because LIV does not get world ranking points.

The Masters is April 11-14.

Masters could have especially small field in 2024

Rory McIlroy eases off criticism of LIV Golf, says Jon Rahm's move was ‘smart business'

Niemann was the only player from Saudi-funded LIV Golf to receive the invitation, which was more about his victory in the Australian Open and his willingness to play tournaments outside the LIV Golf League in a bid to get ranking points.

Augusta National did not offer an invitation to Talor Gooch, who has won three times in the LIV Golf League since the Masters was last played. The club typically reserves special invitations for international players who are not PGA Tour members and don't have access to all the criteria, such as winning or reaching the Tour Championship.

In its announcement, Augusta National only mentioned Niemann's win in the Australian Open and his two other top 10s in European tour-sanctioned events. The club did not cite his win at LIV Golf Mayakoba.

“The Masters Tournament has a long-standing tradition of inviting leading international players who are not otherwise qualified,” Masters Chairman Fred Ridley said. “Today’s announcement represents the tournament’s continued commitment towards developing interest in the game of golf across the world."

Niemann won the Australian Open in December, along with finishing fifth in the Australian PGA. He joined the European tour after winning the Australian Open, a co-sanctioned event, and tied for fourth in the Dubai Desert Classic, four shots behind Rory McIlroy.

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He started his third season on LIV with a 59 at Mayakoba and eventually won in a playoff over Sergio Garcia, his first title in the Saudi-backed league with only 54 players.

“It kind of hurt me a little bit not being in the majors and I think also helped me to get motivation to kind of earn my spot back into the majors, into the elite players,” he said in Mayakoba.

Niemann, who was No. 18 in the world when he joined LIV in September 2022, is now No. 81. He is playing in the Asian Tour’s International Series in Oman this week, though he would not have had a chance to get into the top 50 in the world because of the weak field.

Niemann tied for 16th in the Masters last year in his fourth appearance. He played in 2018 as an amateur, earning his spot in the field by winning the Latin America Amateur Championship.

This is the 15th time the Masters has awarded special invitations since 1999, when it first began using the world ranking as part of the criteria. The only other time it awarded three in one year was 2008 to Jeev Milkha Singh of India, Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand and Liang Wen-Chong of China.

Hisatsune spent one year on the Japan Golf Tour before qualifying for the European tour. He won the French Open and finished high enough on the Race to Dubai to earn one of 10 spots on the PGA Tour. His best finish in four starts on the PGA Tour this year was a tie for 11th in the American Express Championship. He is No. 78 in the world ranking.

Olesen is an eight-time winner on the European tour who played in the 2018 Ryder Cup.

His invitation comes just over two years after  a London court cleared him on charges  of grabbing a woman’s breast, shoving a cabin crew member and urinating on a passenger’s seat on a British Airways flight from Tennessee after a World Golf Championship event. He said he has no memory of his behavior after drinking alcohol and taking sleeping tablets.

The invitations bring the field to 83 players. The only other way for players to qualify is to win one of the seven PGA Tour events before the Masters or being in the top 50 in the world in the April 1 rankings.

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FedEx Cup comes to a close at the Tour Championship

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Atlanta.

Course: East Lake GC. Yardage: 7,490. Par: 71.

Prize money: $100 million. Winner's share: $25 million.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 1-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30-7 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, noon to 1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 1:30-6 p.m. (NBC).

Defending champion: Viktor Hovland.

FedEx Cup leader: Scottie Scheffler.

Last week: Keegan Bradley won the BMW Championship.

Notes: Scottie Scheffler is the No. 1 seed for the third straight year, meaning he starts at East Lake at 10-under par with a two-shot lead. He has yet to win the FedEx Cup. ... The top 30 players include nine players who have never reached the Tour Championship. That includes Ludvig Aberg of Sweden and Shane Lowry of Ireland. ... The biggest story going in is East Lake, which has gone through a renovation project led by Andrew Green. It now plays to a par 71, with the 14th hole now 580 yards and a par 5. ... Xander Schauffele has never had a round over par in his seven previous trips to East Lake, with 25 of those rounds in the 60s. ... Players who reach the Tour Championship are assured spots in three of the four majors, and are virtually certain to be in the PGA Championship. ... The winner gets $25 million that does not count as official money. Second place is worth $12.5 million, while 30th pays $550,000.

Next tournament: Procore Championship on Sept. 12-15.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

FM CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Norton, Massachusetts.

Course: TPC Boston. Yardage: 6,598. Par: 72.

Prize money: $3.8 million. Winner's share: $570,000.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 7-9 p.m. (Golf Channel-tape delay). Saturday, 2:30-5:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: New tournament.

Race to CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda.

Last week: Lydia Ko won the AIG Women's British Open.

Notes: The new tournament on the LPGA schedule already has raised the prize fund so it ranks only below the majors and the CME Group Tour Championship. ... FM has provided free lodging for the players and is paying a $1,000 stipend to anyone missing the cut. ... The TPC Boston held a PGA Tour event from 2003 through 2018. It then held a FedEx Cup playoff event in 2020. ... Fifteen different players have won the last 16 majors on the LPGA Tour. The only multiple winner is Lilia Vu, who won two majors last year. ... With her win at the Women's British Open, Lydia Ko became the fourth multiple winner on the LPGA this year. The others are Nelly Korda with six, and two apiece for Lauren Coughlin and Hannah Green. The LPGA Tour does not consider the Olympics as an official victory, even though it counted toward Ko getting into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Next tournament: Solheim Cup on Sept. 13-15.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/

European Tour

BETFRED BRITISH MASTERS

Site: Sutton Coldfield, England.

Course: The Belfry (Brabazon). Yardage: 7,336. Par: 72.

Prize money: $3.5 million. Winner's share: $583,333.

Television: Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (NBC Sports app); Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (NBC Sports app); Sunday, 7 a.m. to noon (NBC Sports app).

Defending champion: Daniel Hillier.

Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.

Last week: Frederic LaCroix won the Danish Golf Championship.

Notes: The tournament hosted by Nick Faldo is the official start of the Ryder Cup points list for Team Europe. The standings will end Aug. 24, 2025. Players earn various points on the European Tour and PGA Tour. ... Tyrrell Hatton, who defected to LIV Golf at the start of the year, is playing his first European tour event since the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January, before he left for LIV. ... The Belfry is best known for hosting the Ryder Cup three times. The most recent was in 2002 when Europe won. ... This is the fourth straight year for the tournament being held at The Belfry. ... Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is in the field. Hatton is the only player from Donald's winning 2023 team at Marco Simone. ... The tournament has been part of the European tour schedule since 1972. Bob Charles was the inaugural winner.

Next week: Omega European Masters.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/

PGA Tour Champions

Last week: Stewart Cink won The Ally Challenge.

Next week: Ascension Charity Classic.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions

LIV Golf League

Last tournament: Brooks Koepka won LIV Golf Greenbrier.

Next tournament: LIV Golf Chicago on Sept. 13-15.

Points leader: Joaquin Niemann.

Online: https://www.livgolf.com/

Korn Ferry Tour

Last week: Matt McCarty won the Albertsons Boise Open.

Next tournament: Simmons Bank Open.

Points leader: Matt McCarty.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour

Other tours

USGA: Curtis Cup, Sunningdale GC, Sunningdale, England. Defending champion: United States. Television: Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 12:30-1:30 p.m. (Peacock); Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel), noon to 1 p.m. (Peacock); Sunday, 5-10:30 a.m. (Golf Channel). Online: https://www.usga.org/

Epson Tour: Four Winds Invitational, South Bend CC, South Bend, Indiana. Previous winner: Gabriela Ruffels. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/

Japan Golf Tour: Fujisankei Classic, Fujizakura CC, Yamanashi, Japan. Defending champion: Takumi Kanaya. Online: https://www.jgto.org/en/

Asian Tour: Mandiri Indonesia Open, Damai Indah Golf (PIK), Jakarta, Indonesia. Defending champion: Nitithorn Thippong. Online: https://asiantour.com/

KPMG Women’s Irish Open, Carton House (O’Meara), County Kildare, Ireland. Defending champion: Smilla Tarning Soenderby. Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/

Challenge Tour: Rosa Challenge Tour, Rosa GC, Konopiska, Poland. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/

PGA Tour Americas: CRMC Championship, Cragun's Legacy Course, Brainerd, Minnesota. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://www.pgatour.com/americas

Sunshine Tour: Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge, Kyalami CC, Midrand, South Africa. Defending champion: Gerhard Pepler. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/

Japan LPGA: Golf5 Ladies, Golf 5 CC (Mizunami), Gifu, Japan. Defending champion: Kokona Sakurai. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

Korea LPGA: KG Ladies Open, Sunning Point CC, Gyeonggi, South Korea. Defending champion: Yeungjung Seo. Online: https://klpga.co.kr/

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

2024 Tour Championship odds, predictions: Favorites, picks from the field

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Joaquin Niemann Goes Wire-To-Wire To Win Genesis Invitational

• Author: Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Joaquin Niemann survived a few nervous moments at Riviera and polished off a big week Sunday when he closed with an even-par 71 to become the first wire-to-wire winner of the Genesis Invitational in 53 years.

Staked to a three-shot lead, Niemann’s margin was down to one when he made a 7-foot birdie on the eighth hole and PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young sailed the green and made bogey.

The 23-year-old from Chile chipped in for eagle on the par-5 11th to stretch his lead to five, and he held on for a two-shot victory over British Open champion Collin Morikawa (65) and Young, whose last hopes ended with a bogey from the bunker on the 16th. Young shot 70.

About the only thing Niemann missed was a chance to break the oldest tournament scoring record on the PGA Tour. With two bogeys on the back nine, Niemann finished at 19-under 265, one short of the score Lanny Watkins had in 1985.

Morikawa holed an eagle chip on the infamous and reachable 10th hole that one-hopped into the cup, and two late birdies gave him a chance. But he missed a 10-footer on the 18th in his bid to win and reach No. 1 in the world.

Young, making only his 12th career PGA Tour start, was a runner-up for the second time this season. He also tied for second in Mississippi. Given the prestige of the tournament hosted by Tiger Woods , Young earned $1,068,000 for his tie for second. The purse was $12 million.

As for Niemann, Riviera hasn’t had a 23-year-old winner since Phil Rodgers in 1962, the tournament best known for Jack Nicklaus making his pro debut. Nicklaus tied for 50th and earned $33.33 that year.

Joaquin Niemann of Chile captured his second PGA Tour victory Sunday at the Genesis Invitational. Gary A. Vasquez, USA Today

Niemann picked up $2.16 million for his second PGA Tour victory .

No one else had much of a chance on a cool, breezy afternoon at Riviera. This was Niemann’s tournament from the start, when he opened with a pair of 63s and set or matched a tournament scoring record of some variety each day but the last one.

Charlie Sifford in 1969 was the last player to go wire-to-wire in the Genesis Invitational, significant because the elite tournament — it attracted everyone from the top 10 in the world this week — offers an exemption in Sifford’s name to promote diversity in golf.

This year is the 100th anniversary of when Sifford, the first Black golfer to win on the PGA Tour, was born. The No. 100 was on the first hole.

Niemann carved his own way around the fabled course. The most important birdie was at No. 8. He got plenty of breathing room with the eagle on No. 11.

Young was stayed close, even after a bogey on No. 10 when his flip wedge from short of the green failed to clear a bunker. He blasted out nicely to 4 feet but missed the par putt, slamming his bag with a putter as he left the green.

He still had a chance. Young drove into a bunker on the 15th, could only get out to the fairway and then holed out for birdie from 50 yards. Niemann missed a 4-foot par putt and took his second straight bogey, and the lead was down to two with three holes to play.

Young found a bunker for the second straight day on the par-3 16th. It wasn’t plugged like it was on Saturday, but he failed to get up-and-down. He birdied the par-5 17th to get back within two shots and needed some help. Niemann didn’t provide it, splitting the middle of the fairway, hitting to the back level of the green and two-putting for par from just inside 30 feet.

And then the celebration was on as his closest friends — Sergio Garcia of Spain, Mito Pereira of Chile and Carlos Ortiz of Mexico — formed a big group hug on the 18th.

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Joaquin Niemann holds on after dominant start to win Genesis Invitational

LOS ANGELES — Joaquin Niemann’s final round at Riviera Country Club on Sunday wasn’t outstanding by any means.

But after what he accomplished in the earlier rounds, it didn’t need to be.

Niemann, who set multiple tournament scoring records throughout the week, cruised to a win on Sunday at the Genesis Invitational.

¡Vamos! @JoacoNiemann rules at Riv. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XjPINDzXKJ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 20, 2022

The 23-year-old, who is now the second-youngest winner in Genesis Invitational history and the first wire-to-wire winner in more than 50 years, finished with an even-par 71 on Sunday to hold at 19-under on the week.

“When I finished it was like, hell yeah. It took forever,” Niemann said. “We’re finally done and I can have a smile on my face and just think about it like it was a fun day.”

The win marked Niemann’s second on Tour so far in his career, following his inaugural victory at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in 2019. He had 13 finishes inside the top 25 last season, and now has three top-five finishes so far this season. He finished T6 at the Farmers Insurance Open in January, his last Tour appearance.

Joaquin Niemann rolls through Riviera

Niemann opened his week in Southern California with a pair of 63s, which gave him a two-shot lead heading into the weekend and set a 36-hole tournament record.

He then entered Sunday with a three-shot lead over Cameron Young after posting a 3-under 68 on Saturday — which could have been lower had he not bogeyed twice in his final seven holes. Those slips, though, were offset by an eagle at the par-4 10th and still didn’t stop him from claiming the 54-hole tournament scoring record.

No signs of slowing down. @JoacoNiemann eagles the par-4 10th. pic.twitter.com/XBLesA7RRn — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 19, 2022

By Sunday, all he had to do was hang on.

Niemann made par on his first six holes of the day, and then offset a late bogey with a birdie to end his front nine at even par while still holding a three-shot lead. Then at the par-5 11th, Niemann chipped in for eagle to briefly push his lead to six.

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

That massive lead didn’t hold, and Niemann made back-to-back bogeys a few holes later while Cameron Young chipped in — which suddenly brought Young within two shots with only three holes to go.

Cameron Young said PUT ME DOWN FOR A 3 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rUqy1mIq2B — GOLF on CBS ⛳ (@GOLFonCBS) February 20, 2022

That was as close as anybody got. Niemann made par on his final two holes to close out the day and kept both Young and Collin Morikawa — who climbed right into the mix after starting the day eight shots back — at bay to claim the two-shot win.

Morikawa finished in a tie for second with Young with his final-round 65, thanks to a pair of birdies and an eagle on the back side. Adam Scott and Viktor Hovland finished in a tie for fourth at 14-under on the week, and Justin Thomas finished alone in sixth at 13-under.

“I was more surprised by myself or how good I handled myself, my attitude on the course during the weekend,” Niemann said. “I know I didn’t play my best golf like I did the first two days, but I was impressed by the way I handled [it] … I think a couple tournaments ago that I didn’t win, I think my attitude wasn’t the same as [it was] here.”

Tour Championship

East Lake Golf Club

Chilean Joaquin Niemann, 20, wins by six, puts his name alongside Seve Ballesteros and Rory McIlroy

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — The artillery lobbed around the Old White TPC during this week’s A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier resulted in the kind of scoring that you would be tempted to call, ahem, explosive when it really was just the same old story at the start of a new PGA Tour season.

Joaquin Niemann, all of 20, led the assault on a layout that offered good, old TLC, firing a closing six-under 64 for an easier-than-expected six-stroke victory, a tournament record. With a 21-under 259 total, one off Stuart Appleby’s tournament record, Niemann became the first player from Chile to win on the PGA Tour and, likely, the first player from anywhere to accept a trophy parachuted in by the Army Golden Knights just moments earlier.

He joined Rory McIlroy and Seve Ballesteros as the only foreign-born players in the last 95 years to win on tour before turning 21. He follows Matthew Wolff at the 3M Open as winners this year younger than 21, giving the tour its first set of multiple winners who haven't reached the legal drinking age in a calendar year since 1931 when Tom Creavy, Ralph Guldahl and Chuck Kocsis triumphed.

“It’s really crazy,” said Niemann, who was overcome with emotion on the 18th green where moments earlier he sank the last of his six back-nine birdies, a 22-footer, and then punched the air twice in elation.

Just before pulling his ball out of the hole, he slapped his putter for good measure. And for good reason. He needed it just 25 times in the final round. For the week he made nearly 400 feet of putts and ranked first in strokes-gained/putting (+8.788). Last year, Niemann ranked 141st in that statistic at minus-.170.

RELATED: Winner's Bag: Joaquin Niemann's equipment at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier

“Normally I'm not really like too excited any time. I normally like never do like fist pump and kind of those things,” said Niemann, who said his putting has improved thanks to a training aid, the Perfect Putter. “The emotions in that moment on the last couple holes was just crazy. I was just thinking on the first win I made when I was a kid and I was dreaming on this moment. So just make those putts on the last three holes was unbelievable. I couldn't resist it.”

Niemann, who also shot 64 in the final round last year here to finish T-5, which secured his tour membership, essentially locked up his maiden victory with a key stretch early in the back nine to pull away from a tie with Tom Hoge.

Niemann birdied the 10th from three feet to offset a weak bogey—just his third of the tournament—to close out the front nine. Somehow, he crushed a 215-yard 8-iron through the green at the par-5 12th, but he got up and down from behind the green, sinking a nine-footer. Finally, at the long par-4 13th, Niemann, whose been working on “visualizing shots,” stroked a masterpiece of a putt that would have made the late artist Leroy Neiman envious. The ball swirled in hard from the left and spilled over the front edge.

“When I make bogey on No. 9,” Nieman said, “I saw the leaderboard and I was tied with Tom Hoge. And, yeah, I knew that if I just keep focus on my game I could do a lot of birdies. I got two more par 5s. Just keep focus on that.”

RELATED: Viktor Hovland adds to a great day for Norwegian golf by tying a PGA Tour record with 17th straight round in the 60s

Hoge, coming off a trip to the Korn Ferry Finals where he regained his card, closed with a 65 to outdistance four others for solo second place at 15-under 265.

The Old White TPC proved a friendly place for the tour to begin the new season. It was relatively soft for three days and the wind blew weakly, if at all, for the tournament's duration. The field’s cumulative scoring average of 69.145 was the second-lowest in the tournament’s history, and the layout became the first to surrender two sub-60 scores when Kevin Chappell fired an 11-under 59 in the second round. Chappell also tied Mark Calcavecchia’s tour record with nine straight birdies. Appleby had the first 59 here in the final round on the way to his 2010 triumph.

Niemann, who held at least a share of the lead from the second round on, tied Viktor Hovland for low final round score. Hovland, the rookie from Norway, equaled a tour record with his 17th straight round in the 60s.

The No. 1-ranked amateur for 44 weeks before turning professional in April 2018, Niemann opened with a 65 and immediately started thinking about winning, reasoning that not only does he love the venue, but also, “I’ve got the game.”

Credit there goes to his coach, Eduardo Miquel, who was among the first to text Niemann after the last satisfying putt dropped. Introduced to the game by his father, Niemann can’t wait to go back to Chile to celebrate with Miquel and his family and friends, but that will have to wait until he goes home in December.

Perhaps with a stopover first in Melbourne? Niemann hoped Presidents Cup International Team captain Ernie Els was watching. “Yeah, being on the Presidents Cup is just a dream,” he said. But then again, so was winning.

Well, whenever he gets back, apparently, it’s going to be quite the party.

“We can’t talk about that,” Niemann, who earned $1.35 million, said sheepishly when he was asked what the celebration might entail.

He’d said enough already. He’s got the game. Or maybe around here, they'd call it weaponry.

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Joaquin Niemann impresses in wire-to-wire triumph at Genesis Invitational

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A Genesis Invitational tournament that began with a first-shot salute to Charlie Sifford ended with a 23-year-old rising star from Chile matching a rare feat last accomplished by the trailblazing Sifford more than five decades ago.

Joaquin Niemann sank his mitts deep into the iconic Riviera Country Club course on Thursday and did not let go, shooting an even-par 71 on Sunday to fend off the late-charging Collin Morikawa and the pesky Cameron Young and become the first wire-to-wire winner at Riviera since Sifford in 1969.

With fans packing the natural amphitheater green on the 18th hole, Niemann tapped in for par for a two-shot victory over Morikawa, the La Cañada Flintridge native and second-ranked golfer in the world, and Young, a rookie vying for his first PGA win.

Joaquin Niemann sets 54-hole course record, leads by three strokes at Riviera

Joaquin Niemann has dominated for three rounds at the Genesis Invitational, shooting a three-under-par 68 to take a three-stroke lead into Sunday.

Feb. 19, 2022

Niemann, who earned $2.16 million with his second career PGA Tour victory, pumped his right fist, hugged his caddie and hurled his ball into the crowd, the look on his face a mixture of joy and relief.

“When I finished, it was like, ‘Hell yeah, it took forever, we’re finally done and I can have a smile on my face and just think about it like it was a fun day,’ ” said Niemann, whose 19-under-par score of 265 was one short of Lanny Wadkins’ course record 264 in 1985. “Oh my God, this weekend took forever. It felt like a month.”

The pressure on Niemann, the wiry 6-foot, 154-pounder with a slight bow-legged gait, to protect a big lead was self-induced, thanks to his three-day assault on Riviera.

The tournament opened Thursday morning with Sacramento State golfer Aaron Beverly, playing on the Charlie Sifford exemption given annually to a golfer with a minority background, driving off the first tee, which was changed to No. 100 to honor Sifford, who would have turned 100 on June 2.

The first-tee starter was Tiger Woods, the 15-time major champion who was mentored by Sifford, who in 1967 became the first African-American to play on the PGA Tour. “He was the grandpa I never had,” Woods said.

From that point on, the tournament belonged to Niemann, who shot eight-under-par rounds of 63 on Thursday and Friday and a three-under-par 68 on Saturday to set a 54-hole Riviera scoring record and take a three-shot lead over Young into Sunday’s final round.

That cushion dwindled to one when Young, who missed birdie putts of seven feet on No. 3 and 10 feet on No. 5, made par on the 412-yard, par-four seventh to stay at 17 under and Niemann two-putted for bogey to fall to 18 under.

But the momentum shifted back to Niemann on the 436-yard, par-four eighth, where Young’s approach hit the firm green 12 feet in front of the pin and bounced past the hole and off the green, some 50 feet away. Young chipped to within 21 feet and two-putted for a bogey to fall to 16 under.

Niemann hit a firm driver 333 yards into the fairway, a beautiful approach to within seven feet of the pin and nailed his putt for birdie to go to 19-under.

“I think No. 8 was big,” Niemann said. “After bogeying No. 7, I knew I needed to hit a good driver on No. 8 because it’s not an easy tee shot. I had been hitting my wedges so good this week that I knew if I hit in the fairway, I had a good chance to make birdie. I hit a great shot … and I knew it was my opportunity to come back a little stronger.”

There were more anxious moments on the back nine. Niemann gained some breathing room when he chipped in from 46 feet for an eagle on No. 11 to go to 21 under and open a five-shot lead with seven holes to go. But bogeys on No. 14 and No. 15 dropped him back to 19 under.

Young, after blasting out of a fairway bunker on No. 15, then holed a spinning 130-yard pitch that bounced a few times on the green before making a quick right turn into the cup to go to 17 under. But Young hit into a greenside bunker on No. 16 and missed a 13-foot putt for par, the bogey dropping him to 16 under.

“It kept me in it,” Young said of his long shot on No. 15. “You’re staring bogey in the face and to go to the next hole only two back, that’s a chance with three to play. And then I shanked one in the bunker.”

Morikawa posed as big a threat to Niemann as Young. Eight strokes back through six holes, Morikawa went on a tear, holing a 50-foot chip from the rough for birdie on No. 7, draining a 17-foot putt for birdie on No. 9 and holing a 90-foot wedge from the fairway for an eagle on No. 10 to go to 15 under.

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Morikawa drained a 15-foot putt for birdie on No. 16 to go to 16 under and a seven-foot birdie putt on No. 17 to go to 17 under, but he just missed a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that would have pulled him to within one stroke of the lead.

Niemann crushed his 319-yard drive down the middle of the 18th fairway, hit a pitching wedge to the green, 27 feet away from the hole, and two-putted for the win, with Woods, who served as tournament host, handing him with the trophy. Niemann is the second-youngest winner in Riviera history behind 21-year-old Harry Cooper in 1926.

“It’s the toughest tournament, I think, during the year,” Niemann said. “It’s got the best field, the best players are here, and that proves to myself that I can be competing with the top guys. I think it’s going to give me a lot of confidence for what is coming next.”

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Joaquin Niemann wins Tiger Woods' Genesis Invitational at Riviera

Joaquin Niemann captures his second career PGA Tour title at famed Riviera. 

Joaquin Niemann saw off some of the PGA Tour's biggest stars to land his second career victory on the main circuit with a two-shot victory at the Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods. 

Niemann, 23, carded a final-round 71 to finish the week on 19-under par and two shots clear of two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, who flew home with an exceptional 65, and Cameron Young, who closed with a 70. 

The win marks Niemann's second of his career having clinched his first at the 2019 Greenbrier, and the Chilean becomes the fourth player in Genesis Invitational history to go wire-to-wire. 

Niemann's 19-under par winning total is the second lowest in the tournament's history. 

Niemann held a commanding five-shot lead at one stage on the back nine but it was soon trimmed to just two with three holes to play when Young chipped in for birdie from 50 yards. 

But just as there was a swing on the 15th there was another on the 16th as Young handed the shot back with a bogey.

While all that was going on, Morikawa, in the group ahead, made a birdie on the par-5 17th to draw within two shots of Niemann.

Young made birdie on 17 to join Morikawa in a tie for second but Niemann would close out with two pars to seal the second PGA Tour title of his career. 

Morikawa started the final round eight shots back but would race home with a stunning round of 65 that included two incredible chip-ins on the 7th for birdie and the 10th for eagle. 

WATCH MORIKAWA'S CHIP-INS BELOW

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Adam Scott, twice a winner at Riviera, eagled the 17th in a round of 66 to finish fourth on 14-under par alongside in-form Viktor Hovland (70).

Justin Thomas was a further shot back on 13-under after a round of 70. 

Rory McIlroy failed to ignite for much of the week at Riviera but he did sign for a final-round 68 to finish the week at 10-under par in a tie for 10th alongside the defending champion Max Homa (71). 

World No.1 Jon Rahm was left to rue a cold putter for the first 54 holes, just as the case has been for the past few weeks, but he did finish with some good vibes and a flawless 65 to finish the week on 7-under par in a tie for 21st. 

Jordan Spieth started the week brightly just a few shots off the pace but he had a weekend to forget with rounds of 73 and 72 and the three-time major champion ended the week on 6-under par.

Reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay struggled for much of the week and finished 5-under par. 

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GENESIS INVITATIONAL FINAL LEADERBOARD

-19  J Niemann (Chi) -17 C Morikawa, C Young (US)  -14 A Scott (Aus), V Hovland (Nor) -13 J Thomas (US) 

NEXT PAGE: TIGER WOODS CONFIRMS HE WILL MAKE THE MASTERS - BUT WILL HE PLAY IN IT?

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Leader Joaquin Niemann breaks 36-hole record at The Genesis Invitational

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Joaquin Niemann’s cards another 63 to take 36-hole lead at Genesis

LOS ANGELES — Joaquin Niemann was playing so well and having so much fun in the opening round at The Riviera Country Club that he didn't want to stop playing. He returned Friday morning and nothing changed except his place in the record book.

His opening-round 63 still fresh in his mind, Niemann started eagle-birdie and kept right on going until he had another 63 to shatter the 36-hole record in The Genesis Invitational.

All it got him was a two-shot lead going into the weekend, with a quartet of major champions still in the mix and needing Niemann to ease off the gas.

Niemann was at 16-under 126, which broke the previous record set about 20 minutes earlier by Cameron Young, a 24-year-old PGA TOUR rookie who birdied his last four holes for a 62. Young was at 128, at least giving Niemann some company atop the leaderboard.

The previous mark before Friday was 130 by four players, most recently Sam Burns last year.

“I would have thought shooting 11 under, I would have thought that I would probably be leading by five, not five back,” said former PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas, who had a 64 and was five shots behind. “But there's still a lot of golf left.”

Among those who played early, as Niemann and Young did, was two-time Riviera winner Adam Scott. He was at 9-under 133 and felt he was doing everything right. He goes into the weekend needing to make up seven shots.

“I've got a ton of ground to make up. It's not like I'm even close at the moment,” Scott said.

Blame that on Niemann, the 23-year-old Chilean who feels right at home on Sunset Boulevard.

“We got it going pretty good at the beginning,” Niemann said. “I really like the way I handled myself out there.”

Scoring like this wasn't expected at the start of the week, even with the warm sunshine and very little wind. Riviera has held up against the best in the world — and all the world's best are here this week — longer than any other PGA TOUR event.

The 72-hole record was set in 1985 by Lanny Wadkins at 20-under 264, and it's the longest such record on the PGA TOUR. It might be time for Wadkins to start sweating.

As for those chasing Niemann, no one has reason to concede.

“I just keep doing what I’m doing and I have a pretty good feeling I’ll be fine,” Thomas said. “It's just ... I said it like five times, there's a lot of golf left and this golf course is going to get tough this weekend.”

Jordan Spieth three-putted the final hole for his only bogey in a round of 67, leaving him tied with Scott. The Open champion Collin Morikawa had a 67 and was eight behind.

“I think it’s still very doable. I’ve just got to go out there and play hole by hole, shot by shot and see what happens for the third and fourth round,” Morikawa said.

Niemann hit it close Thursday — all but one of his nine birdies was inside 10 feet — and Friday he holed four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer, including a bonus 40-footer on the 12th.

The field featured all 10 from the top 10 in the world and 19 of the top 25. Not all of them will be around for the weekend, starting with Dustin Johnson, who had to play bogey-free for a 31 on his final nine holes just to 71.

Johnson was the last player to challenge Wadkins' scoring record. He had such a big lead in 2017 that he played it conservatively at the end. Plus, he didn't know what the record was and didn't particularly care.

Patrick Cantlay, who had a mathematical chance to reach No. 1 in the world by winning, had to make a pair of birdies late to salvage his round for the second straight day. He shot 72 and made the cut with one shot to spare.

The cut was at even-par 142. The 16-shot gap between the top and bottom was the largest since the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, where Brooks Koepka had a seven-shot lead going into the weekend.

Young kept this from turning into an early runaway. He already has had a strong start to his rookie season by tying for second in the Sanderson Farms last fall.

He was having a nice round until finishing with four straight birdies, all inside 10 feet, a couple of them involving tough pins. The easiest shot was his 1-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole to cap off his 62.

The bonus was on No. 8, which has a split fairway divided by the barranca. That's where Young went off the tee, and while he drew a decent lie, he was still hoping for the best. It rolled out to 8 feet next to the pin.

“For it to end up the right distance is honestly a little bit of blind luck, which doesn’t always happen," Young said. "But today it did.”

Viktor Hovland had a 64 while sticking to his strategy from the U.S. Amateur at Riviera in 2017, taking it well right on No. 15 to the adjacent 17th fairway. He hasn't hit his second shot closer than 60 feet either day, but he made par.

Hovland was at 7-under 135, along with Russell Knox, who had two eagles in the same round for the first time in his career and shot 67.

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Joaquin Niemann wins Genesis Invitational in wire-to-wire fashion

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Joaquin Niemann watches a putt during the final round of the Genesis Invitational on Sunday at Riviera Country Club.

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Joaquin Niemann set records all week long at Riviera. They weren’t for naught.

The 23-year-old Chilean breezed to his second career PGA Tour title by winning the Genesis Invitational on Sunday at Riviera, closing with an even-par 71 to beat Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young by two.

Niemann, who finished 19 under for the week, entered Sunday with a three-shot lead over Young, a rookie, and a six-shot edge over Viktor Hovland. Niemann smashed records Thursday through Saturday en route to his sizable lead.

¡Vamos! @JoacoNiemann rules at Riv. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XjPINDzXKJ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 20, 2022

His opening-round 63 tied the lowest first-round score in Genesis Invitational history, and he set both 36-hole (126, 16 under) and 54-hole (194, 19 under) scoring records. Now he’s the event’s first wire-to-wire winner since Charlie Sifford in 1969.

It’s the second career PGA Tour victory for Niemann, who previously won A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in 2019.

“I felt I had to be really focused during the round. All I wanted to think about was the next shot and trying to feel my body, how I was feeling, trying to feel the shot I was trying to do,” Niemann said. “Yeah, when I finished it was like, Hell, yeah, it took forever, we’re finally done and I can have a smile on my face and just think about it like it was a fun day.”

Niemann still led Young by three at the turn on Sunday, as both players shot even par on the front. Young bogeyed 10 and Niemann one-upped Young’s birdie on 11 by chipping in for eagle. That pushed him to 21 under and gave him a five-stroke lead with seven to play.

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Stalwarts like Justin Thomas, Hovland and Morikawa, who would have vaulted to world No. 1 with a win, were chasing the lead all day, but it was too big of a deficit, and Niemann wasn’t budging. He was 7 for 7 scrambling through 13 holes, but he failed to get up and down to save par on 14 and 15. Then Young added an unlikely birdie on 15. He had an awkward stance from a fairway bunker and had to lay up short of the green, but he holed that from 53 yards. Just like that the lead was two with three to play.

Young went bogey-birdie on 16 and 17, and Morikawa, in the group ahead, birdied two to the last three to set the clubhouse lead at 17 under. Leading Morikawa and Young by two on the 18th, Niemann found the fairway, found the green and two-putted to victory.

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As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the sport’s most-read news and service websites. He spends most of his days writing , editing, planning and wondering if he’ll ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two kids. You can reach him at [email protected].

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Joaquin Niemann, 23, closes big week as first wire-to-wire winner of Genesis Invitational in 53 years

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LOS ANGELES -- Joaquin Niemann set or matched some form of a scoring record at Riviera every day of the Genesis Invitational until Sunday. All he got was the trophy handed to him from Tiger Woods after beating the best field in golf this year.

That was more than enough.

Niemann overcame a few anxious moments and closed with an even-par 71 to become the first wire-to-wire winner at the Genesis Invitational in 53 years, holding off British Open champion Collin Morikawa and PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young by two shots.

The week began with all the players from the top 10 in the world. It ended with a 23-year-old Chilean playing his best golf in a 63-63 start and doing just enough in the final round to win.

"It's the toughest tournament I think during the year. It's got the best field, the best players are here and that proves myself that I can be competing with the top guys, I can be up there in the world ranking," Niemann said. "I think it's going to give me a lot of confidence for what is coming next."

Staked to a three-shot lead to start the final round, Niemann's margin was down to one when he made a 7-foot birdie on the eighth hole and Young sailed the green and made bogey. Then Niemann chipped in for eagle on the par-5 11th, and he was on his way.

"I think No. 8 was big," he said. "I hit a great shot. Cameron hit it just over the green. I knew it was my opportunity to come back a little stronger, and I started playing the next holes better."

On a day when Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau said they were staying put on the PGA Tour amid speculation of a Saudi-funded rival league, Niemann spoke of a value worth more than just money.

"Everyone's here to compete against the best players in the world. I'm here to do the same," he said. "Winning a PGA Tour event, getting a trophy, having Tiger there, all the history behind it, there's nothing that can compete with this."

About the only thing Niemann missed was a chance to break the oldest tournament scoring record on the PGA Tour. With two bogeys on the back nine, Niemann finished at 19-under 265, one short of the score Lanny Watkins had in 1985.

Morikawa holed an eagle chip that one-hopped into the cup on the infamous and reachable 10th hole, and two late birdies gave him a chance. But he missed a 10-footer on the 18th in his bid to win and reach No. 1 in the world. He closed with a 66.

Young, making only his 12th career PGA Tour start, was a runner-up for the second time this season. He also tied for second in Mississippi. He faced Niemann over the final 36 holes and stayed with him, unable to make up the deficit.

"You finish tied for second at Riviera, I can't complain," Young said. "I'm lucky just to be here and I know it does some good things for me going forward, so I am happy with the week."

Given the prestige of the tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, Young earned $1,068,000 for his tie for second. The purse was $12 million.

As for Niemann, the tournament hasn't had a 23-year-old winner since Phil Rodgers in 1962, the tournament best known for Jack Nicklaus making his pro debut. Nicklaus tied for 50th and earned $33.33 that year.

Niemann picked up $2.16 million for his second PGA Tour victory.

Charlie Sifford in 1969 was the last player to go wire-to-wire in the Genesis Invitational, significant because the elite tournament -- it attracted everyone from the top 10 in the world this week -- offers an exemption in Sifford's name to promote diversity in golf.

This year is the 100th anniversary of when Sifford, the first Black golfer to win on the PGA Tour, was born. The No. 100 was on the first hole.

Niemann carved his own way around the fabled course. The most important birdie was at No. 8. He got plenty of breathing room with the eagle on No. 11.

Young stayed close, even after a bogey on No. 10 when his flip wedge from short of the green failed to clear a bunker. He blasted out nicely to 4 feet but missed the par putt, slamming his bag with a putter as he left the green.

He still had a chance. Young drove into a bunker on the 15th, could only get out to the fairway and then holed out for birdie from 50 yards. Niemann missed a 4-foot par putt and took his second straight bogey, and the lead was down to two with three holes to play.

Young found a bunker for the second straight day on the par-3 16th. It wasn't plugged like it was on Saturday, but he failed to get up and down. He birdied the par-5 17th to get back within two shots and needed some help. Niemann didn't provide it, splitting the middle of the fairway, hitting to the back level of the green and two-putting for par from just inside 30 feet.

And then the celebration was on, as his closest friends -- Sergio Garcia of Spain, Mito Pereira of Chile and Carlos Ortiz of Mexico -- formed a big group hug on the 18th.

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Joaquin niemann wins liv mayakoba in playoff, immediately makes this ‘major’ declaration.

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Joaquin Niemann’s first thought after beating Sergio Garcia in a four-hole playoff Sunday at LIV Mayakoba?

“But I’m not in the majors,” Niemann could be heard saying at the start of his post-round interview.

Later, Niemann was asked if his win – his first on the Saudi-backed circuit since joining in 2022 – grabbed the “attention of the relevant [major] bodies.” To which Niemann replied, “Oh, I hope so. I mean, I’m just ready.” Niemann then said of his goals for the year: “I want to win majors, but I gotta get in first.”

Niemann, however, is in majors; he’s just not in all of them. His victory two months ago at the Australian Open qualified him for the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon, and at No. 66 in the Official World Golf Ranking, he should still be in the top 100 when the PGA Championship fills out his field.

He’s not in the Masters or the U.S. Open right now.

With LIV having been denied world-ranking points, Niemann’s Masters hopes are slim to none under the current landscape. He tied for 16 th last year, missing a return ticket to Augusta National by two shots. He could still final-qualify for the U.S. Open.

Niemann had been playing well prior to Sunday’s LIV win. He’s got three top-5s in recent months, including a solo fifth at the Aussie PGA and T-4 at the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic, which he got into via his Aussie Open triumph.

Niemann said in Dubai that he understood not qualifying for majors would likely be a consequence of joining LIV, but he still felt like he “deserved” to be in all the majors.

And that was before this week, which also featured a 12-under 59 by Niemann in Friday’s first round.

“I think I have a different mindset for this year,” Niemann said Sunday evening. “It kind of hurt me a little bit not being in the majors, and I think also helped me to get motivation to kind of earn my spot back into the majors, into the elite players. I think it helped me a little bit to get focused back, to start working harder, to start working with a purpose. I think it’s paying off, and I just want to keep telling myself that I’m capable of doing this, of winning tournaments, and this is a good way to prove that, and I don’t want to stop working the way I’m doing it. I just want to keep going.”