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Joaquín Niemann
Chilean professional golfer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Joaquín Niemann Zenteno (born 7 November 1998)[4] is a Chilean professional golfer who plays on the LIV Golf League. He won twice on the PGA Tour,[5] before joining LIV Golf in 2022. Prior to turning professional, he held the number one position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking from May 2017 to April 2018.
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Early life and amateur career
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Niemann was born in 1998 to Pamela Zenteno and Jorge Niemann.[6][7] Both of his parents had athletic backgrounds; his father played basketball in college, while his mother played field hockey for the Chilean national team.[8] She represented Chile at the 1989 Women's Hockey Junior World Cup, and retired from the sport after her marriage at age 24.[9][10] Niemann grew up with three brothers and two sisters, all of whom preferred soccer to golf. Niemann's father was a recreational golfer and introduced him to the game.[8] Niemann stated in 2021 that he began playing golf "around two or three years-old ... I had three plastic clubs that I would carry around my house all the time."[11] He also played soccer and competed in track and field as a child.[8] During his youth, he was inspired by Spanish golfer Sergio García.[12]
Niemann's parents divorced when he was in eighth grade, and he moved with his father, an engineer, to Santiago, as this was better for his golf development.[13] He earned a scholarship at the prestigious Athletic Study Centre in Santiago, and began to play in international amateur tournaments.[14] Niemann planned to play at the University of South Florida, but he was unable to gain entry as his TOEFL score was too low. He said in 2021 that he never studied at school, "In every class, I just waited for recess. All I ever wanted to do was play professional golf."[13]
Niemann was the number one ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for 44 weeks, from May 2017 to April 2018, when he turned professional.[15][16] He was awarded the 2017 Mark H. McCormack Medal for being the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the conclusion of the summer's championship season, thus gaining entry into the 2018 U.S. Open and into the 2018 Open Championship.[17] He won the 2018 Latin America Amateur Championship, gaining entry also into the 2018 Masters Tournament.[18]
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Professional career
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After competing in the 2018 Masters Tournament as an amateur, Niemann turned professional, thus forfeiting his exemptions to the 2018 U.S. Open and Open Championship. In his first professional start, at the 2018 Valero Texas Open, he finished 6th. He earned Special Temporary Member Status on the PGA Tour for the rest of 2018 with a tied-6th finish at the Memorial Tournament, his third top-ten in only five starts on tour. He earned a PGA Tour card for the 2018–19 season, after a fourth top-10 finish (T5 at The Greenbrier) in eight tournaments.[19] Niemann joined Jordan Spieth (2013) and Jon Rahm (2016) as golfers who were able to completely bypass the Web.com Tour Finals and earn PGA Tour cards after starting the season without any status.
In September 2019, Niemann won A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier for his first PGA Tour victory. He became the first PGA Tour winner from Chile, and the youngest international PGA Tour winner since 1923.[20]
In December 2019, Niemann played on the International team at the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. The U.S. team won 16–14. Niemann went 0–3–1 and lost his Sunday singles match against Patrick Cantlay.[21]
In January 2021, Niemann shot a final round 64 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He joined Harris English in a playoff, but was defeated on the first extra hole.[22] A week later, he finished T2 at the Sony Open in Hawaii; one stroke behind Kevin Na.[23]
In July 2021, Niemann shot a bogey free 18-under par for 72 holes to tie with Cameron Davis and Troy Merritt for the lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Niemann made his first bogey of the week on the first playoff hole and was eliminated. Davis was the eventual champion.[24]
In February 2022, Niemann shot rounds of 63-63-68-71, to win the Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods. He finished the tournament at 19-under par, two strokes ahead of Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young.[25]
Move to LIV Golf
In August 2022, it was announced that Niemann had joined LIV Golf.[26] He was subsequently named as the captain of the Torque GC team and finished runner-up in his first start, at LIV Golf Invitational Boston, losing a playoff to Dustin Johnson.[27] In the 2023 LIV Golf League, his all Spanish-speaking Torque GC won more team titles (four) and collected more prize money than any other team during the regular season, before finishing 3rd in the $50 million Team Championship in Miami.[28]
In December 2023, Niemann won the ISPS Handa Australian Open, a tournament co-sanctioned by the European Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney. He defeated Rikuya Hoshino in a sudden-death playoff.[29]
On 4 February 2024, Niemann shot a 12-under-par 59 in the first round of the LIV Golf Mayakoba in Mexico. According to Data Golf, it was the third-best score in terms of true strokes gained since 2004.[30] In a playoff against Sergio García, Niemann won the tournament with a birdie on the fourth extra hole, for his first individual LIV Golf title.[31]
In an interview following his win at LIV Golf Mayakoba, Niemann stated his desire to win major championships, but lamented that "I've got to get in first". Three weeks later, Augusta National Golf Club announced that Niemann was given a special invitation to compete in the 2024 Masters Tournament.[32]
In December 2024, Niemann won the season-ending PIF Saudi International on the Asian Tour, beating Cameron Smith and Caleb Surratt in a playoff. The win also saw him win the International Series Order of Merit.[33]
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Personal life
Niemann is of German ancestry.[12] In October 2020, Niemann's cousin Rafita Calderon was born, and soon was discovered to have spinal muscular atrophy, a rare, life-threatening genetic disorder. To address the disorder, he required Zolgensma, a medical treatment which cost US$2.1 million. As Chile's healthcare system did not cover the treatment, Niemann donated $152,450 from his tournament earnings in November and attempted to bring awareness to the fundraising effort.[11][34] He stated in February 2021 that Rafita had received the treatment and his condition had improved. Niemann thanked other golfers and companies for helping to meet the fundraising goal.[35]
In September 2023, Niemann married architect Christina Hellema in La Serena, Chile, after more than six years of dating.[36]
Amateur wins
- 2013 Campeonato Sudamericano Pre Juvenil, Campeonato Abierto de Golf de Temuco
- 2015 Junior Orange Bowl Championship, Abierto Las Brisas de Santo Domingo, IMG Academy Junior World Championships (Boys 15–17), Campeonato Juvenil de Chile, Canadian International Junior Challenge, Abierto Sport Francés
- 2016 Campeonato Sudamericano Juvenil, Junior Golf World Cup, IMG Academy Junior World Championships (Boys 15–17), Campeonato Juvenil de Chile, Abierto Prince of Wales Country Club, Abierto Sport Francés
- 2017 Abierto Las Araucarias, TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook, Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, Campeonato Internacional de Aficionados - Mexico
- 2018 Latin America Amateur Championship
Source:[37]
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Professional wins (18)
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PGA Tour wins (2)
PGA Tour playoff record (0–2)
European Tour wins (1)
1Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia
European Tour playoff record (1–0)
Asian Tour wins (1)
Asian Tour playoff record (1–0)
Chilean Tour wins (9)
LIV Golf League wins (5)
LIV Golf League playoff record (1–1)
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Results in major championships
Results not in chronological order in 2020.
Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
- Most consecutive cuts made – 10 (2020 U.S. Open – 2023 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 0
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Results in The Players Championship
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Results in World Golf Championships
1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
Did not play
"T" = Tied
NT = No tournament
Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022.
PGA Tour career summary
a Niemann was an amateur through the 2018 Masters Tournament.
Team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Chile): 2016[37]
Professional
- Presidents Cup (representing the International team): 2019
See also
References
External links
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