Joaquin Niemann secured his place at the 152nd Open Championship after a playoff win over Rikuya Hoshino at the Australian Open, coming back from four shots behind to claim victory at the second extra hole.
At Glance
‣ Joaquin Niemann secured his place at the 152nd Open Championship with a playoff win over Rikuya Hoshino at the Australian Open.
‣ Niemann’s victory marked the first DP World Tour success for LIV Golfers, following Dean Burmester’s victory in South Africa the previous week.
‣ Despite his second runner-up finish in as many weeks, Hoshino also secured a place at The Open next July.
‣ Home favourite Min Woo Lee narrowly missed out on becoming the seventh player in history to win both the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open back-to-back, finishing third.
An eagle on the second play-off hole sealed the win for @joaconiemann 🏆 #AusOpenGolf
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour)
Joaquin Niemann has secured his place at the 152nd Open Championship. This was made possible by a thrilling playoff win over Rikuya Hoshino at the Australian Open. Before the tournament, Niemann’s spot at Royal Troon next July wasn’t a sure thing. But, boy, did he turn things around on the final day!
Niemann started Sunday on nine-under, quite a bit behind co-leader Hoshino. But the Chilean golfer pulled off the joint-second lowest round of the day. Only Spaniard Angel Ayora (65) did better. Niemann ended on 14-under, piling on the pressure for those coming in after him.
No one managed to outdo Niemann at the top. But Hoshino didn’t go down without a fight. He battled his way to a round of 70, forcing a playoff at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.
Both players birdied the gettable par-five 18th after Niemann missed a close-range eagle putt. Niemann, however, didn’t make the same mistake on the second run from slightly further out. Hoshino, once again, carded a four. Niemann’s eagle on the second play-off hole sealed the win.
After the round, Niemann said: “It was a nice day. These last two playoff holes showed how I have been playing the last few weeks here in Australia.” He admitted his putting hadn’t been the best, but he’d been working hard on it. “It was nice to make that last putt. I always practise those three, four, five-feet ones and know that one of those will be to win a tournament. It’s amazing.”
This victory marks Niemann’s first DP World Tour success. It also means that LIV Golfers have won both of the first two Open Qualifying Series events of 2024. The first was Dean Burmester’s victory in South Africa last week.
Meanwhile, home favourite Min Woo Lee narrowly missed out on making history. He was close to becoming the seventh player to win both the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open back-to-back. He finished third on 12-under, just days after his entertaining victory at Royal Queensland GC.
Hoshino, despite his second runner-up finish in as many weeks, also secured a place at The Open next July. Adam Scott managed to grab the final qualifying place, thanks to his superior OWGR position. He, along with Englishman Laurie Canter and Scotland’s Grant Forrest, ended in a tie for fourth on 11-under. Scott might feel a bit miffed though, as a costly triple-bogey on number seven prevented him from ending his four-year title drought.
Elsewhere, it was a tough day for the Lee family. Min Woo’s sister, Minjee Lee, fell short in the women’s event. South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai claimed victory by a single shot, successfully defending her title against the Australian. Lachlan Wood, on the other hand, won the G4D Tour’s season-opening Australian All Abilities Championship on Saturday.
