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PGA TOUR Power Rankings: 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship

By Mike Randleman

JACKSON, MS - OCTOBER 30: The trophy during the Final Round of the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson on October 30, 2016 in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
JACKSON, MS - OCTOBER 30: The trophy during the Final Round of the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson on October 30, 2016 in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA – SEPTEMBER 15: Joaquin Niemann of Chile poses with the trophy after winning A Military Tribute At The Greenbrier held at the Old White TPC course on September 15, 2019 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA – SEPTEMBER 15: Joaquin Niemann of Chile poses with the trophy after winning A Military Tribute At The Greenbrier held at the Old White TPC course on September 15, 2019 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

Joaquin Niemann played a lot last fall, but the Sanderson Farms Championship was one event he skipped.

At this point, though, I like the young Chilean wherever he tees it up.

The 20-year-old has wowed us with his talent to win the Latin American Amateur Champion and subsequently earn his way onto the PGA Tour without status.

Now as a full-fledged member, he fired 65-62-68-64 last week at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier to blitz the field by six shots at 21-under-par. It was the largest margin of victory in tournament history.

Niemann hit 64.29% fairways at 312.9 yards per pop, and 345.5 on Sunday. He was a GIR machine averaging 80.56% and gained 2.197 strokes per round on the greens.

Simply put, every club in the bag was on point.

He’s now inside the world top 50 and it would be surprising if he doesn’t land on the International Presidents Cup team as a captain’s pick.

"“It was the first tournament I play on PGA tour. I was an amateur and finish like 20 something, so it was unbelievable place. I wanted to come back the next year, and the crazy life it is, the next year was getting my card here in this event,” Niemann said. “And then this year was the year after I won my first PGA Tour event, so it’s just crazy. I mean, I love this place. I been playing really good golf here, so going to be here couple more times.”"

While it can be dicey rolling with a player the week after he’s won (think about how you’d celebrate winning roughly $1 million), but Niemann was coming off of three weeks of rest leading into the Greenbrier.

Niemann has made 10 of his last 11 cuts with the only misfire coming at the Open Championship. That was a week after playing all four rounds at the John Deere Classic and was his fifth week playing in a row.

Along with the win, which is part of the 2019-2020 season, Niemann had a good summer last season with consecutive fifth-place finishes in Hartford and Detroit.

Putting has ailed him as a young pro playing on unfamiliar greens (141st on Tour, -.17 strokes gained). The ball striking has been consistent, however, at 35th off the tee (.338), 25th approach (.484) and 23rd tee to green (.84) last season.

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