Niemann, 20, breaks through at The Greenbrier

By
Mo Yoshimoto,

By
Mo Yoshimoto

Published September 16, 2019 08:00 AM

A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier

The Old White TPC

White Sulphur Springs, WV

Winner’s Share: $1.35 million

20 years, 10 months, 8 days

Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, a pre-tourney 22/1 outright, went out in the very first group in Round 1 on Thursday (0715 military time).

Seventy-two holes later, he won by six shots over runner-up Tom Hoge (65), setting a new tournament record for margin of victory.

Granted, this was only the ninth edition, but…wow!

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In case you were knee-deep in the NFL on Sunday and missed the finale, which didn’t come on the telly until 1500 hours, Niemann was the overnight leader by two (65, career-low 62, 68).

He was caught after a first-nine 33 (2 birdies, 1 bogey) – by Hoge, four groups ahead, who was 6-under thru 12 – but then stormed home in 31 (6 birdies, 1 bogey), highlighted a trip-birdie finish.

Niemann claims his first PGA TOUR victory in 44 events (41 pro) at the ripe old age of 20 years, 10 months, 8 days.

He’s the youngest international winner since 1923, and did so displaying a veteran-like moxie, his Sunday 64 matching the low round of the day.

That’s typically not what happens. Twenty years of age and having slept on your first 54-hole lead/co-lead, usually results in a different outcome – and no one would’ve blamed him had that been the case.

It wasn’t, his 21-under 259 coming up just one swing shy of the tournament scoring record.

The 2018 Latin American Amateur champion, who also co-led at the midpoint, is the first leader/co-leader after any of the first three rounds to win The Greenbrier.

His previous best was T5 three times, the first of which came here in 2018 (63-69-72-64).

Niemann, who turned pro in 2018 – with a solo 6th at the Valero Texas Open – and achieved Special Temporary Membership that same season, finished 67^th in the FedExCup standings last season (advanced to the BMW Championship) as a first-time member (not a rookie).

He’s the first winner on TOUR from Chile and this is his first win on any circuit.

Hoge’s runner-up is a career best in 134 events, eclipsing a solo 3^rd at the 2018 Sony, while four players shared 3^rd place, seven adrift, including Niemann’s R4 playing competitor Richy Werenski, who carded a 69 (2 birdies, 1 bogey).

Final Leaderboard (pre-tourney odds outright):

1- (-21) Joaquin Niemann (22/1)

2- (-15) Tom Hoge (150/1)

3- (-14) Brian Harman (50/1)

3- (-14) Harris English (150/1)

3- (-14) Nate Lashley (125/1)

3- (-14) Richy Werenski (200/1)

Note: Repeat top-10 finishers in the event: Niemann (1-5); Sebastian Munoz (7-3)

Niemann’s Position by Round:

R1: T7 (3 back)

R2: T1

R3: 1 (by 2)

Note: Niemann played out of the final pairing on Saturday and Sunday.

Niemann on Sunday:

After opening with 65 and career-low 62, he was one of three co-leaders at the midpoint, before 68 yielded a two-shot margin.

Playing out of the final twosome, he hit seven (of 14) fairways and 13 greens in regulation, posting 0.448 SG: Off-the-Tee, 1.603 SG: Approach, 0.182 SG: Around, and 2.233 SG: Tee-to-Green.

Niemann squared two bogeys at holes 9 and 15, smothered by eight circles at 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, and the hat-trick at 16-18.

He recorded 1.385 putts per GIR and 3.095 SG: Putting with 25 total putts, converting four scoring tries from between nine and 22 feet, and also saved par two times from the 6- to 7-foot range.

OUT: 1-under 33 (2 birdies, 1 bogey); co-leader (with Hoge).

IN: 5-under 31 (6 birdies, 1 bogey); WINS by six.

For the week, Niemann tallied one eagle and 22 birdies against just three bogeys.

How Niemann Won the Tournament:

Ranked 1^st (or T1) in: SG: Putting; Birdie or Better Percentage; Birdie to Bogey Ratio; Par-4 Scoring; All-Around

Ranked 2^nd (or T2) in: Total Birdies; Total Bogeys; Par-5 Scoring; GIR

Note: See “Strokes Gained Leaders Stats” at the bottom, along with his full stats.

Lowest-Ranked Stat(s): Proximity to Hole (ranked 26^th); Driving Accuracy (T24)

Niemann at The Greenbrier:

Starts: 3

Top 10s: 2

Top 5s: 2

Wins: 1

Form: 1-5-29

Note: Niemann’s T29 on debut in 2017, while still an amateur, was highlighted by a closing 64 as well. He’s now carded rounds of 64 or better if five of his 12 rounds at The Old White TPC.

Niemann’s TOUR Career:

Starts: 44

Cuts Made: 32 (72.7%)

Top 25s: 13 (29.5%)

Top 10s: 9 (20.4%)

Top 3s: 1 (2.2%)

Wins: 1 (2.2%)

By the Numbers:

6/5: Niemann’s revised outright betting entering R4.

9: This was the ninth Greenbrier. There was no tourney in 2016 (flooding) and no tourney last season due to the revamped TOUR schedule.

16: This was the inaugural event with the new cut rule of top 65 and ties. Sixty-eight (68) players made the cut, 21 (T48) on the number. Under the old cut rule of top 70 and ties, 84 players would’ve made the cut, resulting in a difference of 16 players, and would’ve triggered a secondary cut (MDF), which no longer exists under the new cut rules.

59: Kevin Chappell’s 59 (31-28) in R2 featured a TOUR-record-tying nine consecutive birdies. He is the first to shoot sub-60 on TOUR since Brandt Snedeker (59) at the 2018 Wyndham/R1, and the second at The Greenbrier, joining Stuart Appleby in 2010/R4 (won). Chappell missed a 10’9” birdie try at the par-4 ninth, his final hole, which would’ve tied Jim Furyk’s 58 (2016 Travelers/R4) for the all-time record.

T47: Chappell, who began the season on a Major Medical Extension due to microdiscectomy surgery back in November, is the 10^th player to shoot sub-60 on TOUR. Furyk accomplished the feat twice. Every other player who shot sub-60 finished in the top 5 of their respective tourney. Chappell finished T47 on 5-under 275 (71-59-73-72).

17: With rounds of 68-68-68-64, rookie Viktor Hovland extends to 17 straight rounds in the 60s, dating to R4 of last season’s Rocket Mortgage. His last five final rounds read: 64-65-64-65-64. If the 21-year-old had played enough rounds last season, he would’ve ranked No. 1 in final-round scoring average at 67.38. He matches Bob Estes for longest streak of consecutive rounds in the 60s (since 1983).

2: Hoge, who began T9, five back, records his 11^th top 10 in 134 events and second top 3.

T3: Lashley’s T3 was good for top first-timer (of 45). It’s his second top 3 in 40 events, joining his win at last season’s inaugural Rocket Mortgage on conditional status, where he got into the field as fourth alternate.

21: All 21 TOUR rookies were in the field. Scottie Scheffler, a 36-hole co-leader, took top-rookie honors with T7 on 13-under 267 (65-62-71-69), eight in arrears.

0: Through one non-team event this season, the pre-tourney fave/co-fave won zero times. Last season, two fave/co-faves won (in 45 non-team events): Rory McIlroy (12/1 co-fave) at THE PLAYERS, and Collin Morikawa at the Barracuda (10/1).

12/1: Bryson DeChambeau was a pre-tourney 12/1 co-fave outright and missed the cut by two shots on 2-under 138 (68-70). At World No. 10, he was also the top-ranked OWGRer in the field.

12/1: The other 12/1 co-fave was Hovland, who finished T10.