Joaquin Niemann further underlined why the Masters committee found it within themselves to issue the 25-year-old Chilean with a special invitation to play at Augusta next month when he ran away with the LIV Golf League’s event in Saudi Arabia.
The league’s homecoming event to the country which is funding its very existence failed to draw much of a crowd, but that didn’t seem to overly bother Neimann as he swept to another $4m pay day after finishing on 17 under par for 54 holes in Jeddah.
Niemann shot a final round 66 on Sunday to claim a four-stroke victory and add to his earlier triumph in last month’s season-opening tournament in Mexico. Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel tied for second, with the latter enjoying his best finish since winning the inaugural event at Centurion Club in England in June 2022 beta-test season, while Oosthuizen equalled his best result as a LIV golfer.
The two victories in the first three events of 2024 moved Neimann to the top of the season-long individual championship standings and continued his sizzling play that began during the LIV Golf off-season when he won the Australian Open.
“It’s probably my best moment, the best I’ve ever played before,” Niemann said. “I just want it to keep going in the same direction. I want to feel, and I want to think, that I’m the best all the time. I think that’s the only way to be confident and play good golf.”
CRUSHERS COMEBACK
In the team event, Crushers, winner of last season’s team championship, claimed their first title of 2024 with a dramatic comeback on Sunday. Starting the final round 11 shots adrift of the leaders, captain Bryson DeChambeau (62) and his team of Charles Howell III (64) and Anirban Lahiri (65) and Paul Casey (69) combined to shoot 20 under for the day – eight shots better than any other team – to finish at 38 under for a four-stroke victory over the Stingers, with Smash GC, winners of the previous event in Las Vegas, finishing third.
KIM LIMPS HOME LAST
At the bottom end of the scoreboard, new LIV signing Antony Kim finished his week stone last of those that completed three rounds. After a near 12-year retirement, the 38-year-old American carded his best score of the week on Sunday with a 4-over 74 to add to earlier rounds of 76 for a 16 over total.
While the rust was evident, Kim said he has plenty to build on as he prepares for his next start at LIV Golf Hong Kong. I’m very encouraged,” Kim said. “I’m excited about what’s coming. My game is starting to shape up. I’m doing things that I used to do before.
“I definitely played a lot better than the score actually showed,” Kim said of his final round. “I felt more comfortable today than I did the first two days. I shot 4-over par, but it could have been an under-par round if I had just cleaned up a few things. Unfortunately, it’s still taking me a couple holes to get comfortable. I think most of my over-par scores were on the first six holes. If I can just figure a way to get my mind right before I get out there, I think I’ll be in great shape.”
