Chilean Joaquín Niemann won the Saudi International on Saturday, the last tournament of the Asian circuit held at the Riad Golf Club, after a close playoff in which he beat Australian Cameron Smith and young American Caleb Surratt, aged 20.
Niemann, results
Niemann thus ends the best season of his career with a trophy worth one million dollars for the champion that has also allowed him to qualify for the International Series. His triumph came thanks to a birdie on the second playoff hole, in which his rivals missed theirs from very close and were left with a bitter taste in their mouths.
Previously, the three finalists, who finished their respective rounds tied at 21 strokes under par, made birdie on the first hole of the playoff that had been reached after Niemann and Surratt, paired in the last group, unexpectedly made bogey on the 18th hole, which tied them with Smith and prolonged the outcome of the tournament.
The Chilean arrived at the last day as leader with a one-stroke advantage and closed his participation with a 67 under par, while Surratt made a 66 on Saturday and Smith, who seemed ruled out for the final victory, needed 62 strokes. The three tied in the lead with 263 strokes.
“Today was a good day. Caleb and I played very well and it’s a very good way to end the season. I’m very excited about what’s coming next season in the LIV and I hope to enter some Majors,” Niemann explained after his triumph in statements provided by the organization.
This is the second victory of the season in Saudi Arabia for the Chilean, who already won the LIV Golf Jeddah in March, shortly after winning the LIV Golf Mayakoba. His success means that no Asian Circuit player will be promoted to the LIV in 2025 since only the best player obtained a place and Niemann is already participating in that competition.
The rules of golf are relatively complicated compared to other sports because they are played outdoors, close to nature and animals. Respecting the rules is a basic element in the game of golf, which, almost always based on self-control and the free conscience of the players, often sees distorted results, sometimes consciously, but often unconsciously or through carelessness, due to the non-observance by many players of the rules of the game. In addition to the rules, golf adheres to a code of conduct, known as etiquette, which generally means playing the game with due respect for the golf course and other players. Etiquette is an essential component of this sport.
Tennis World USA