Men's Golf

[Mama_Bull]

J Niemann came from one shot back the final round to win by four strokes at The Junior Invitational at sage Valley, which  has the strongest field in junior golf. 

JI at Sage Valley‏ @JrInviteSage

 

 

Finishing at -12, Joaquin Niemann of Chile is the 2017 Junior Invitational Champion. #JrInviteSage

 

FCHG‏ @chilegolf  11m11 minutes ago

Con un espectacular acumulado de -12, Joaquín Niemann se acaba de coronar como campeón del Junior Invitational 2017 ¡Felicidades, Joaco!

With this victory he earns an exemption into  the Junior PGA Championship.

He already earned exemptions into the final Qualifying for the 2017 OPEN Championship and  the sectionals of the 2017 US Open,  by coming in 2nd at The Latin American Amateur Championship. He lost in the playoffs there, which would have earned him a berth in the 2017 Masters

With this victory he also will move closer to the  #1 World Amateur Golf Ranking. WAGR updates its ranking on Wednesday.

Also, USF signee Won Jun Lee  finished T13 and should improve on his #94 WAGR.  

This week	Last week	Change	Player	Country	Divisor	Points average
1	2	1	Maverick McNealy		108.0	1327.4500
2	3	1	Joaquin Niemann		148.0	1262.5791
3	4	1	Sam Horsfield		109.0	1190.9604
4	5	1	Matthias Schwab		90.0	1165.5208
5	6	1	Dylan Meyer		111.0	1125.9799

 

http://www.wagr.com/en/Mens-Ranking.aspx

 

Too bad, USF doesn't have him this year, since he won last week at the Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, Fla, where the AAC Men's Golf Championship is being held starting tomorrow,

Edited April 22, 2017 by Mama_Bull

[goldenbrahm1996]

Wow that's awesome. Kid is an absolute stud. It sure would be nice to finally have someone break through on tour a few years down the line. Although if he keeps it up, it might be sooner rather than later. 

Edited April 22, 2017 by goldenbrahm1996

[goldenbrahm1996]

Also probably the first time we've ever had the Number one recruit in any sport. Pretty cool stuff. 

Edited April 22, 2017 by goldenbrahm1996

[Mama_Bull]

4 minutes ago, goldenbrahm1996 said:

Also probably the first time we've ever had the Number one recruit in any sport. Pretty cool stuff. 

 

USF will have a real shot to win a national championship in Men's Golf, over the next several years.

Edited April 22, 2017 by Mama_Bull

[206BULL]

As someone who rarely follows golf except for USF and a few tournaments each year; aside from playing myself ofcourse I have a question. When it comes to golf is there anything keeping this kid from skipping school altogether and just joining the tour at some point? If he keeps winning these amateur events I'd assume he would get an invite sooner rather than later. 

[goldenbrahm1996]

4 minutes ago, 206BULL said:

As someone who rarely follows golf except for USF and a few tournaments each year; aside from playing myself ofcourse I have a question. When it comes to golf is there anything keeping this kid from skipping school altogether and just joining the tour at some point? If he keeps winning these amateur events I'd assume he would get an invite sooner rather than later. 

You have to earn your tour card by qualifying, you don't just get invited to join the tour. But if he does keep going at his pace, there's a strong chance he won't be in school for more than a year or two before he decides he's ready for the big boys. 

[Mama_Bull]

2 minutes ago, goldenbrahm1996 said:

You have to earn your tour card by qualifying, you don't just get invited to join the tour. But if he does keep going at his pace, there's a strong chance he won't be in school for more than a year or two before he decides he's ready for the big boys. 

We had one freshman last year, from Sweden, who did well in the fall golf tourneys and elected to leave school and turn pro. He hasn't done much since.

Even Tiger Woods stayed three years at Stanford, before turning pro.

Most elite college golfers get their degree and that is usually the best decision. Unlike most other sports, golfers have a much longer life span in their profession and don't feel as pressed to leave school.

 

[Mama_Bull]

2017 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley

Traci Edwards/Montana Pritchard Photography

Joquain Niemann poses after winning the 2017 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.

 

http://www.amateurgolf.com/golf-tournament-news/18940/Joaquin-Niemann-wins-Junior-Invitational-at-Sage-Valley-

[BullyPulpit]

1 hour ago, Mama_Bull said:

We had one freshman last year, from Sweden, who did well in the fall golf tourneys and elected to leave school and turn pro. He hasn't done much since.

Even Tiger Woods stayed three years at Stanford, before turning pro.

Most elite college golfers get their degree and that is usually the best decision. Unlike most other sports, golfers have a much longer life span in their profession and don't feel as pressed to leave school.

 

And usually come from better financial situations than most other athletes. 

[Mama_Bull]

 

Joaquin Niemann, the world's No. 2 amateur, wins Junior Invitational at Sage Valley

 

By: Brentley Romine  | April 22, 2017 6:15 pm

 

 

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. – Of the 54 holes that Joaquin Niemann played during his victory at the 2017 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, the most important one was one that he carded triple bogey on.

 

Yes, it was the daunting par-4 17th hole during Friday’s second round. Niemann hit his drive into the pine straw, his ball coming to rest against a pine cone. He then hit a knuckle-ball toward the green and his ball trickled into the water right.

 

“Normally, I would’ve told him to drop,” said Niemann’s caddie, Todd Timmerman, a Sage Valley veteran. “But for some reason I thought he could hit it.”

 

Niemann went for it and failed to get his ball out of the pond. The triple bogey coast him a chance at the 36-hole lead, and he needed to make a huge up-and-down par on the par-4 18th just to remain a shot back of Min Woo Lee entering Saturday’s final round.

 

“It sounds weird,” Niemann said. “… but I think that helped me a lot because my mindset was different. I just wanted to go make birdies, birdies, birdies.”

 

 

 

He did. The 18-year-old Chilean made seven of them as part of a final-round, 5-under 67 to finish at 12-under 204, a tournament record since course renovations were done after the 2011 edition. He won by four shots over defending champion Austin Eckroat, who closed with an impressive 66.

 

 

 

Jason Day visits Sage Valley for Nike Night, loses long-drive contest to junior golfer
“When he was in situations where he needed to make birdie, he would make birdie,” said Lee, who closed with 73 to tie for third at 7 under. “… Couldn’t really stop him.”

 

After Niemann made what he called an “unlucky” bogey at the par-4 third hole, Lee led by two shots. But Niemann was lights-out after that, making birdies at Nos. 4 and 5 to tie Lee at 8 under.

 

“From there, I said, ‘Of course I can win this,’ ” Niemann said.

 

Niemann then took control with a birdie at difficult Nos. 7 and 9. He added birdies at Nos. 10 and 11, and even after a bogey at the par-3 12th after his tee ball landed hard and bounced over the green, Niemann stuck an approach at the par-4 13th and made birdie there.

 

 

Five straight pars to close and Niemann stood on the green at the finishing hole, “Weeping Willow,” during the awards ceremony wearing a gold jacket.

 

“I just enjoyed this last day very much,” Niemann said. “This is the best tournament I can ask to win, and I won it.”

 

Niemann entered the week as second-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and coming off a record-setting win at the AJGA’s TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook’s Resort’s Copperhead Course.

 

His victory Saturday at Sage Valley won’t get him to No. 1, but if he keeps up this level of play, passing Stanford’s Maverick McNealy by the end of the summer is not out of the realm of possibilities.

 

This was Niemann’s third and final Junior Invitational, as he will head to the University of South Florida in the fall. Two years ago, he made his Sage Valley debut and tied for 10th. Last year, he shared 24th place.

 

During his victory speech, Niemann joked that Timmerman, who caddied for Niemann all three years, was upset he didn’t win in either of those editions. Timmerman just knew how good Niemann was and could be.

 

“The first time I met him, I knew what he was capable of,” Timmerman said. “In this game, some people have it and some people just play. Joaquin has it.

 

“You’re going to see him do many things, I promise you.”

http://golfweek.com/2017/04/22/sage-valley-junior-invitational-joaquin-niemann-2/