The final tournament of the season could also be the last PGA singles event for the Chilean. In Atlanta, in front of the biggest stars of the tour, he will try to hit the bull’s eye in a contest that arouses controversy because of the handicap and which awards 18 million dollars in prizes.
Closing week on the PGA Tour and special week for Joaquín Niemann. The Chilean will be back in the tournament which brings together the thirty best of the year and will try to hit the mark in an event which continues to arouse controversy because of its starting system. While pondering the offer that came to him from LIV Golf.
And it is that, as El Deportivo reported on August 12, the Chilean has received an important proposal from LIV Golf and is still seriously considering jumping to the Saudi league side. If he agrees to this, the Tour Championship would be the last individual PGA event Niemann competes in, as, for now, he has yet to contest the Presidents Cup with the international team (which also features Mito Pereira).
A news that, if it happened, would be confirmed at first after the Presidents, since the event is organized by the PGA, so such a confirmation would undoubtedly cause annoyance on the Tour and its presence in the tournament by team could be complicated. Despite this, the scenario is uncertain, since it is not excluded that the decision will be advanced if it is accepted.
For its part, the North American tour continues to take a tough stance on the emergence of the new body, adopting a very critical tone towards golfers who choose to play in the petrodollar league. For example, that same day, Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA, was clear in saying that players who have chosen to go to LIV will not be able to return to the traditional circuit.
Additionally, he announced the addition of four category events, bringing the number to 12 for the next season, which means improved prizes. “Our top players are firmly behind the Tour, helping us deliver an unparalleled product to our fans, who will be guaranteed to see the best players compete in 20 or more events throughout the season.” said.
On the other hand, the commissioner also announced that the Player Impact Program (PIP) will be doubled to award $100 million to the 20 players who make the most noise among fans and media.
against the best
But Niemann remains firm on his main objective of the moment: to show his talents in the tournament which brings together the best in the world. This, since tomorrow, Thursday, he will go to the course of the East Lake Golf Club to play the Tour Championship for the third consecutive time, the event where the top 30 players of the year compete for the FedEX Cup.
A start where the talagantino will be the only Latino in the field and where will it come from tee from the first hole with Jordan Spieth, 13th in the world rankings. There, a four-round journey will begin where golfers will compete for a money bag amounting to $18 million .
The match will take place at 12:45 p.m. in Chile and the Chilean is already very motivated with his performance in a complicated field. “You have to hit it very well tee . You must be in the fairways because of rough it is very difficult to do things well green vegetables. We would like to be more aggressive sometimes, but it’s difficult. In this field, you have to be intelligent and patient he told Golf Channel of East Lake.
A controversial tournament
Although Atlanta is the most important tournament in the PGA, it is not free from controversy. And it is that its trademark is also one of the greatest criticisms it receives. Unlike the rest of the year’s events, this one is played with a favorable handicap for those who are at the top of the FedEx rankings.
Specifically, players will start the event with a score relative to their place in the annual order of merit allowing for example the number one on the list, Scottie Scheffler, to go out on the tee of the first hole with a card of -10. The second will do it with -8, the third with -7 and so on until fifth place, since from there five players are grouped by score.
Niemann was ranked 19th on the Order of Merit, so he’ll start with a two-under, eight strokes behind the leader and current world number one. A notorious drawback, which the Chilean commented: “I’m in a better position than the last two years, but I’m still far from the leader, who has a very big advantage on a pitch like this. I have to start calmly, without thinking too much about the result, because I’m going to be very far from the leader. Play my game and see how close I can get “, he launched.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
