Chilean Joaquin Niemann became the first wire-to-wire winner of the $12 million Genesis Invitational since 1969 Sunday, falling one stroke shy of matching the tournament record.
Niemann shot an even-par 71 Sunday at The Riviera Country Club to finish the tournament at 19-under 265. The tournament record is 20-under-264 by Lanny Wadkins in 1985, the longest-standing 72-hole record of any active PGA Tour event since 1980.
The tournament has been played annually since 1926, except for 1943, and at The Riviera Country Club each year since 1973 except for 1983 and 1998.
Collin Morikawa, a 2015 La Canada High graduate, and rookie Cameron Young tied for second, two shots back. Norwegian Viktor Hovland and Australian Adam Scott tied for fourth, five shots off the lead.
Niemann received $2.16 million for his second victory in his 101 starts on the PGA Tour, joining the 2019 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. Morikawa and Young each received $1.068 million. Hovland and Scott each received $540,000.
Niemann opened the round with a three-shot lead over Young, who birdied the 503-yard par-5 first hole to move to within two shots of the lead.
Niemann and Young, who were playing in the final group with Hovland, both parred each of the next five holes. Young moved within one shot of the lead when Niemann bogeyed the par-4 seventh hole.
Niemann regained a three-shot lead when he birdied the par-4 eighth hole and Young bogeyed it. The hole was the first Niemann completed under par since the 10th hole Saturday which he eagled.
Niemann’s lead grew to five shots when Young bogeyed the par-4 10th hole, which Niemann parred, and Niemann eagled the par-5 11th hole which Young birdied.
The eagle dropped Niemann to 21-under for the tournament, threatening to break Wadkins’ record. He parred the next two holes, but bogeyed the next two, with his lead dropping to two after Young birdied the 15th and Morikawa, who was playing in the group ahead of the final group, birdied the 17th to go 17-under for the tournament.
The 23-year-old Niemann closed out the tournament with three consecutive pars to become its second-youngest winner, behind only World Golf Hall of Fame member Harry Cooper, who was 21 when he won the inaugural edition in 1926.
En route to the victory, Niemann had set the tournament’s 36- and 54-hole record and tied its record for the lowest first-round score.
“I was more surprised by myself on how good I handled myself, my attitude on the course during the weekend,” Niemann said. “I know I didn’t play my best golf like I did the first two days, but I was impressed the way I handled.”
Young, who was paired with Niemann the final two rounds, said Niemann “putted beautifully, he drove it fantastic.”
“With the exception of a couple yesterday, he really drove it great,” Young said after finishing second for the second time in his 12 PGA Tour career starts. He also tied for second in the 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship. “He hit just a flat draw off almost every hole. Then his speed on the greens is so good. I don’t think anyone did better with that this week than he did.”
Niemann was the tournament’s fourth wire-to-wire winner and first since Charlie Sifford in 1969 and the first wire-to-wire winner of any PGA Tour event since Nick Taylor won the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The field included each of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, topped by Spaniard Jon Rahm, the world’s top-ranked men’s golfer for 31 consecutive weeks. Rahm tied for 21st at 7-under, 12 shots off the lead.
Niemann said he thought the victory is “going to give me a lot of confidence for what is coming next.”
“I think at the beginning of the year, just started playing great golf at Torrey,”’ Niemann said, referring to tying for sixth at the Farmers Insurance Open Jan. 26-29. “Coming this week I was feeling really confident about my game and I was able to handle it during the week.”