Joaquín Niemann woke up this Sunday in Mayakoba with the unpleasant news that his four-stroke lead as tournament leader had dwindled to two due to a rookie mistake of his when relieving himself from a path in the second round. About nine hours later, already at night in Cancún, he holed a putt of about four meters from the antegreen, barely illuminated by the giant screen of the 18th, to win his first tournament in LIV Golf. He got the thorn out. He made amends.
Between one thing and another, there was a great golf battle against Sergio García, Jon Rahm and Dean Burmester. Niemann achieved victory after defeating Sergio on the fourth playoff hole, undoubtedly the one who played the best from tee to green this Sunday. There was a moment, in fact, when it seemed that the title was going to be disputed by the two Spaniards. It seemed like Jon’s dream debut in the Saudi league. Moreover, they even shared the lead with three holes to go.
Joaquin Niemann is your CHAMPION in Mayakoba 🏆🏆#LIVGolf @TorqueGC_ pic.twitter.com/d32SFeRFav
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 5, 2024
The reality is that Niemann did not quite get going all day, Rahm did not feel comfortable from the tee and Burmester was going along, without showing at any time that he was willing to step forward and take the lead in the tournament. Sergio took advantage of this, who started four strokes behind the Chilean, to get into the fight with high-level golf. He made three birdies in the first seven holes, hitting iron shots and leaving short putts along the way that ended up costing him the victory, although he also made some very valuable ones in the final stretch, specifically on the 15th and 16th to reach the lead.
Niemann resisted in the lead because Rahm and Burmester, really, did not finish attacking. The one from Barrika did not play well, but he smelled blood on hole 13 and got fully into the battle. Joaco opened the door. He missed a clear birdie on the 13th, after missing a short birdie putt, and automatically triggered Rahm’s attack. He plugged in. He made three consecutive and very powerful birdies on holes 13, 14 and 15 and tied for the lead with -12 with Sergio García. It was then when it seemed that the victory was going to be a Spanish matter, as Niemann gave the impression that he was fading. Not only did he miss the clear birdie on the 13th, but he made a bogey on the 14th.
Sergio finished with -12, chaining three consecutive pars and placing a demanding result in the clubhouse. Rahm was with -12 and two holes to play and Niemann signed a great birdie on the 16th, with a high school shot, and also joined the lead. It was a matter of three, as Burmester had presented his resignation with a bogey precisely on the 16th.
Two bad starts from Jon turned the trio into a pair. The Biscayan sent his ball on the 17th to the penalty area on the left and made a bogey. Immediately afterwards, with the urgent need to make the birdie, he made another mistake from the tee on the 18th and the ball ended up in the bunker, again on the left, very close to the slope. He could barely get it out to the street and a new bogey fell to finish third tied with Burmester in his debut in LIV Golf.
Niemann had a putt to win on hole 18, but it escaped him. It was time for a playoff. They tied with par the first three attempts. It must be said that the Chilean was saved with a very high dose of luck on the first attempt. He missed the drive off the tee to the right, it was going straight to the jungle, but the ball bounced off the vegetation and stayed playable in the rough. If it hadn’t bounced, it’s most likely that the tournament would have ended there with García’s victory.
In the first two playoff holes, Niemann had the option to win, while in the third it was Sergio who created the clearest birdie opportunity of the playoff, but he didn’t hit a good putt. On the fourth and last hole, with the night fallen over Mayakoba, Sergio hit a bad second shot, went to the rough on the right, in a very complicated situation, with the bunker ahead and the green receiving downhill. He left himself a par putt of about four meters, although he didn’t even have to throw it because Niemann holed his birdie putt.
This is the first LIV Golf tournament that Niemann wins, having already lost a playoff against Dustin Johnson. Meanwhile, Sergio García has missed his second playoff. The first was last year against Talor Gooch in Singapore.
Rahm, visibly upset about finishing with two bogeys, at least took the joy of winning the team competition in his debut week. In addition to his performance during the first two days, the key to Legion XIII‘s victory was the great round of 64 strokes by Tyrrell Hatton this Sunday and the notable performance of Caleb Surratt, signing a card of 67 with eight birdies.
As for the other two Spaniards in LIV, Eugenio López Chacarra finished in 32nd place with +1 and David Puig finished 38th with +3.
