Joaquin Niemann is a professional golfer from Santiago, Chile, who plays on the PGA Tour and was the number one-ranked amateur golfer in the world between May 2017 and April 2018.
Niemann was born in Santiago, Chile, and now resides in Jupiter, Florida in the United States.
He telegraphed his potential with six victories in minor professional events in his home country whilst still an amateur - and won another straight after joining the pro ranks.
He then confirmed his transition to higher levels with a first victory on the PGA Tour in 2019.
Niemann's father gave him plastic clubs when he was only two years of age and he has been on the rise ever since.
In the first event of 2021 Niemann very nearly won the Tournament of Champions, but was denied in extra holes by Harris English.
A little over 12 months later he claimed his second PGA Tour triumph with victory in the Genesis Invitational at Riviera CC.
Amateur career
Niemann was recruited by coach Steve Bradley for the University of South Florida, where fellow Chilean Claudio Correa was already playing his golf.
However, Niemann's TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores were not good enough for him to gain entry and he missed out on being able to attend.
US college golf's loss was the wider amateur game's gain, however.
Niemann was rampant in South America, winning titles across the continent and then flying around the world to emphasise that his talent was not merely parochial.
2015 was particularly successful one as he picked up the Junior Orange Bowl Championship, Abierto Las Brisas de Santo Domingo, IMG Academy Junior World Championships (for boys aged 15-17), Campeonato Juvenil de Chile, Canadian International Junior Challenge and Abierto Sport Frances.
In 2016, he defended his IMG Academy Junior World Championships title at his age group level, as well as the Campeonato Juvenil de Chile and the Abierto Sport Frances. He also picked up the 2016 Campeonato Sudamericano Juvenil, Toyota Junior World Cup and Abierto Prince of Wales Country Club.
His insatiable desire for titles drove him to number one in the amateur golf rankings and late in that year he also began competing among the best of Chile's professionals.
His first success at that level came in late 2016 and throughout 2017 he added to the tally whilst continuing to fill the trophy cabinet with amateur gongs.
Niemann was a prolific winner at amateur level.
In 2018, Niemann won the Latin America Amateur Championship and a seventh pro title on home soil as an amateur.
His position at the top of the amateur world rankings had earned him a spot at the Masters. He missed the cut, but he joined the pro ranks straight afterwards.
Turning pro
His decision meant that he forfeited exemptions to the 2018 US Open and Open Championship, but he seemed little affected.
He finished tied sixth at the Texas Open on his pro debut, one of three top eight finishes in his first five starts on the PGA Tour; it earned Special Temporary Member Status on the PGA Tour for the rest of 2018.
A fourth top 10 of the summer, at The Greenbrier, confirmed his PGA Tour Card for the 2018/19 PGA Tour season - he was just the third golfer to earn this without needing to go through the Web.com Tour finals, with the previous two Jordan Spieth in 2013 and Jon Rahm in 2016.
Late in 2018 he returned to Chile and won his seventh title on the minor tours there, but the first that permitted him to cash the winnings.
Breakthrough
Niemann was solid throughout the summer of 2019 and then took a big step forward.
His victory in September's A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier made him the first golfer from Chile to win on the PGA Tour and also the youngest international PGA Tour winner since 1923.
"It's amazing. I've been thinking about this my whole life since I started playing golf," Niemann said.
"It's unbelievable realising what happened today. I need to calm down a little and just celebrate. It's crazy.
"I was just feeling like I was going to win the tournament from the first day. I was in that mindset.'
His golf so impressed Ernie Els the South African selected him as a Captain's Pick to make his debut in the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.
It was a tough week, not only with his team's 16-14 defeat to the USA, but he went 0-3-1 and lost his Sunday singles match to Patrick Cantlay. But he impressed his team-mates and captain.
The 2021 season began with a bang in Hawaii.
He thrashed a brilliant final round 64 in the Sentry Tournament of Champions to set a formidable clubhouse target. Only Harris English could match it and the American prevailed in the playoff.
A week later he suffered another near miss, finishing tied second at the Sony Open in Hawaii, a single stroke behind Kevin Na.
That second win came early in 2022 when he went wire-to-wire in winning the Genesis Invitational ar Riviera CC - a dominant win over a quality field.
Personal life
Niemann hit a 40-yard shot with golf equipment at a family barbeque at the age of four and hit his grandmother in the leg. She was not seriously hurt, and recalling the incident, he was quoted as saying: "It was a pretty good shot."
Golf Monthly reports Niemann is in a relationship with Christina Hellema Puga, a fellow Chilean.
Whilst waiting for the playoff at the Tournament of Champions he was seen eating and chatting to his friend Sergio Garcia.
In November 2020, Niemann's baby cousin, Rafita, was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. With the help of a GoFundMe page, Niemann raised $2.1million in order to pay for gene therapy with the use of a drug called zolgensma.
He pledged $5,000 for each birdie he made and $10,000 for every eagle. He also donated the $152,450 prize money and also donated $65,262 from the Mayakoba Classic.
Joaquin Niemann net worth
Niemann has amassed over $20million in career earnings according to Golf Channel.
