Sam Torrance: Fearless Joaquin Niemann is part of a classy new guard
Joaquin Niemann has long been tipped for the big time, the former world No1 amateur mentioned alongside Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland as stars of the next generation.
Were it not for the extraordinary success enjoyed by two-time major winner Morikawa and world No4 Hovland, Niemann’s own very promising first few seasons as a professional golfer might have made more headlines.
But with his magnificent victory in the Genesis Invitational on Sunday, the 23-year-old from Chile reminded everyone why he is so highly rated.
This was a big one to win. Riviera Country Club is an amazing course steeped in history and the field is very strong, so the pressure was considerable.
To do so in the manner that Niemann did – wire-to-wire and coming within one shot of the tournament’s lowest ever score – will be humungous for his confidence.
This was his second win on the PGA Tour, following his debut triumph in 2019, and caps a fine start to the year that has also featured top-10 finishes at the Saudi International and Farmers Insurance Open.
The second win can sometimes be the hardest one to get. Now he has all of that in the bag he can feed off it for the rest of his career.
And talk about taking the bull by the horns – Niemann started with back-to-back rounds of 63. By the time he reached the 12th tee on Sunday he had opened up a five-shot lead.
That allowed him to coast to the finish with a couple of bogeys, despite a late charge from Morikawa.
The way he played showed his fearlessness. He drove the ball magnificently, with one tee shot at the 10th on Saturday really remarkable.
Niemann’s got a lot of class and has all the attributes: able to hit it a mile and a great short game. Physically he is wiry and tough. He looks like the sort who could go on playing for another 30 years as part of this classy new bunch.
Morikawa had a fantastic day to tie for second, two shots behind Niemann. A couple of wedge shots that he holed, including one for eagle, were beyond belief.
Rookie Cameron Young, meanwhile, enjoyed a huge week as he shared second with Morikawa. The 25-year-old, who made the leap to the PGA Tour after just one year on the Korn Ferry Tour, will remember his 62 on Friday for a long time.
Hovland flattered to deceive a little. He looked like the man to launch a challenge over the weekend but stumbled at the end of his third round and then ran out of steam on Sunday. Still, it was another fabulous display from the Norwegian.
Sharing fourth with Hovland was Adam Scott, who continued his recent good form. Another great week for the old timer.
Rory McIlroy notched up another top 10 but it was a poor outing for world No1 Jon Rahm, who struggled with his putting and finished in a share of 21st.
Justin Thomas had a disappointing weekend for a player who knows this course really well. His successive rounds of 70 left him sixth.
Lastly, it was a good week for Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre. He shot very good rounds of 67 on Friday and Saturday and finished tied for 15th with Paul Casey and Marc Leishman. His goal is to get his card and climb into the top 50, so he will be happy with that.
Sam Torrance OBE is a multiple Ryder Cup-winning golfer and media commentator. Follow him @torrancesam.