Joaquín Niemann (-17) has once again demonstrated today in Saudi Arabia that he is one of the fittest golfers in the world. The Chilean has swept the LIV Golf Jeddah to add a second victory in three tournaments that have been played in the Saudi league in 2024. Final round of 66 strokes and a more than decisive victory with four ahead of Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. Simply, he has given no one a chance.
It is true that the players who started this Sunday closer to Niemann, the two South Africans mentioned above, Jon Rahm, Jason Kokrak, Abraham Ancer or Lucas Herbert have also failed to offer their best version in the last 18 holes and really have not managed to unsettle the winner of the Australian Open and the proud recipient of one of the always coveted invitations to the Masters. There was no better way to thank Augusta than with this victory. Joaco has never had less than two strokes advantage over the second place.
Niemann has once again played impeccably from tee to green, getting into very few problems, nailing the strategy, attacking when necessary and conserving when necessary. In addition, on the greens he has been sublime. There he has built the second victory in LIV Golf in his career. He joins the victory in Mayakoba in the first test of the circuit in this 2024.
Jon Rahm (-11) has been back in the fight, although he has been far from Niemann. Another bitter day on the greens, like yesterday’s, has prevented him from reaching the last holes with real chances of victory. There is not much to object from tee to green. His long game has been sensational and the irons have shone at a great height, leaving opportunities left and right. But the putter has not been fine. From start to finish. For example, on hole 1, the last of the day for him, he missed a putt of less than two meters for birdie and finish fourth. That moment has been a good reflection of what has happened in the last two rounds.
In any case, there are not many buts to put to the one from Barrika. Yes, the victory continues to resist him, but in his three appearances in LIV he already adds two top 5 and an eighth place. No one doubts that sooner or later that first victory will come. Who knows if it will not happen precisely next week in the Hong Kong tournament.
If he had made the birdie on 1, Rahm would have ended up tied in fourth place with Bryson DeChambeau (-12), by far the best player of the day at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City. The golfer from Clovis, California, has delivered a card of 62 strokes, sinking from all positions and places. One of those on fire days of the American.
Precisely, DeChambeau’s performance has been the catapult that has propelled his team (Crushers) to win the team competition with a total of -38. They are four strokes less than the Stingers and five less than the Smash.
As for the other three Spaniards present in Arabia, Sergio García (-7) and David Puig (-7) have finished in fifteenth position with rounds of 65 and 67 strokes, respectively, and Eugenio López Chacarra (+2) has finished at the bottom of the classification with a final round of 72 strokes. As for the teams with Spanish presence, the best has been Legion XIII, in fifth position. The Fireballs have finished sixth.
Finally, Anthony Kim (+16), who returned to competition this week after almost twelve years of absence, has finished with another round over par, last classified nine strokes from the penultimate and 33 from the champion. Much room for improvement for the American.
