Joaquin Niemann wins first LIV Golf title in playoff
Joaquin Niemann – image LIV Golf
Just two months after winning the Australian Open in a playoff, Chilean golfer Joaquin Niemann has survived a four-hole playoff against Spain’s Sergio Garcia in near darkness to win his first LIV Golf Tour title.
Niemann’s win in the LIV Golf Mayakoba in Playa Del Carmen in Mexico, was made even more dramatic and impressive by the fact that he had incurred a two-shot penalty before even teeing off in today’s final round as a result of a rules infringement yesterday in which he took an incorrect drop.
Instead of starting four ahead of the field, the 25-year-old began the final round two ahead of South African Dean Burmester and new LIV Golf recruit Jon Rahm but after opening with a stunning 59 on Friday, Niemann could only manage a 1 under round today and was caught by Garcia’s 5 under effort.
It took four holes to decide the winner, with darkness ensuring the fourth and what would be final hole of the playoff would be the last of the day and require a return to settle to result tmorrow if either player could not grab the title.
It would be Niemann who would birdie the fourth and final hole under the lights of the adjacent scoreboards and supplementary assistance from the hospitality tents alongside the 18th green.
Niemann, who has played the LIV Golf Tour since its inception in 2022, is now achieving the level of golf he has promised since turning professional in 2018 as the leading male amateur in the world.
“Yeah, it was a lot of different days” said Niemann when explaining a somewhat roller coaster of a week.
“Obviously, the first day comes with expectations. I was playing good. First tournament of the LIV season, and I was expecting a lot from myself, and I was able to manage myself through the golf course really well and ended up shooting 59, which was — I think it’s a dream to be under 60.
“Then Saturday was a really tricky day. The wind got up. Obviously, I was on the lead by a few strokes. I think it was a little bit harder to play well after that round and then the wind getting up.
“Saturday was still a pretty good day, a good test for what was coming on Sunday. Then Sunday started a little bit different because I got a two-shot penalty on Sunday morning, which was a little bit hard to swallow at the beginning, but then I knew that I had to change the situation and not let the situation beat me.
“I think it gave me more energy to go out and fight and prove to myself that it’s not going to bother me. I’m pretty happy that the day ended up this way, especially how the morning started. I think dinner is going to taste a little bit better than breakfast.”
“I think I have a different mindset for this year,” said Niemann when asked after his win about his after his goals for this year.
“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.”
Garcia’s close call was his second playoff loss in LIV events but his final round of 65 was a great boost for him.
The Australians finished one shot out of a cheque in the team’s competition, Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Matt Jones finishing one shot out of third place.
Cam Smith did best in the Individual competition when he shared 8th place and five shots from the playoff.
