(Reuters) – Joaquin Niemann hit a stunning seven-under par final round of 65 to claim the LIV Golf Adelaide title on Sunday, finishing on 13-under par to win by three shots as Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs quartet claimed victory in the team event.
The Chilean trailed a trio of players that included Abraham Ancer by three shots at the start of the day’s play at the Grange Golf Club, prevailing in a battle with the 33-year-old down the back nine to win his third LIV Golf event.
“I’m starting to feel the chills now because I didn’t want to get out of the game rhythm because you never know what could happen, but now I feel that relief and it feels awesome,” Niemann said.
Niemann started the day on six-under par but had pulled himself into contention by the time he reached the turn, picking up four shots to put pressure on Ancer, who had been flawless after birdying the first two holes to take a clear lead.
Another birdie at the 12th by Niemann, his fifth of the round, saw him draw level with Ancer, and he responded with a birdie of his own to go back in front.
But the pressure on Ancer started to tell on the par-three 14th when the Mexican-American put his tee shot into a greenside bunker before dropping his first shot of the day.
And while Ancer reclaimed that shot on the 16th, he missed his first fairway of the day on the 17th, going on to drop out of the lead with another bogey.
Niemann held his nerve to birdie the last, prompting Ancer to bogey the 18th and slip into a share for second with Carlos Ortiz.
Ancer at least had the consolation of securing victory with Garcia, Luis Masaveu and David Puig as the Fireballs finished six shots ahead of Legion XIII to claim the team title.
“It’s bittersweet with Abe (Ancer), the way he played, he was there the whole day and it would’ve been nice to get the double,” Garcia said. “Super proud of the way they all fought in tricky conditions.”
(Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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