Who is Joaquin Niemann? Introducing golf’s new wonderkid…

If you haven’t already, you’re going to hear rather a lot about Joaquin Niemann in the coming years.

The 19-year-old Chilean recently turned pro and, if the start he has made to life in the paid ranks is anything to go by, he’s going to around at the top end of the game for quite some time.

Let’s get to know him a little better…

He’s a winning machine

Prior to turning professional, Niemann won more than 20 amateur titles – including the 2018 Latin America Amateur Championship – and six professional tournaments. This all helped him to top the World Amateur Golf Ranking from May 2017 until this April, when he jumped to the paid game.

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He finished T6 on his pro debut

That was at the Valero Texas Open in April. He has since had three top tens in his first five PGA Tour starts, earning a Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the 2017-18 season.

He’s made more money this year than you

Unless you’re in an exceptionally well-paid job, that is. He earned his first cheque on April 22nd at the Valero Texas Open and, since then, has banked $738,375. Ooft!

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He’s already Chile’s highest-ranked golfer

At this moment in time, Niemann is 223rd on the OWGR, best-placed of the 15 Chileans who currently have a world ranking. His nearest challenger is Matias Calderon, in 456th, with two-time European Tour winner Felipe Aguilar in 535th place. In the whole of South America, only three golfers – Emiliano Grillo, Jhonattan Vegas and Fabrizio Zanotti – are ranked higher than Niemann.

Don’t ask about Tiger’s ’97 Masters win

He won’t remember it. He wasn’t even a twinkle in his dad’s eye when Woods won his first major. Niemann was born on November 7, 1998, by which time Tiger had already won seven of his 79 PGA Tour titles.

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