Mayakoba Golf Classic: Heavy-Hearted Joaquin Niemann Shares Lead

Joaquin Niemann is playing golf this week for more than himself. At the Mayakoba Golf Classic, Niemann is also playing for an ill relative.

Joaquin Niemann has a little extra motivation this week at the Mayakoba Golf Classic on the PGA Tour. And that motivating factor gave him the early lead at the Playa del Carmen, Mexico, event on Thursday.

Niemann and several other PGA Tour players are wearing blue ribbons on their shirts or caps in honor of Niemann’s cousin, Rafita Calderon, who is battling a very rare muscular disease. Calderon, who is just one month old, needs a treatment that could increase his chance of survival and quality of life.

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However, it’s not that simple. The potential treatment is very, very expensive. Niemann indicated that a single dose could cost as much as $2.1 million. And, time is of the essence because the treatment needs to be delivered within the first 100 days of Calderon’s life.

Calderon’s family set up a GoFundMe page and Niemann is doing everything he can to help the cause. He donated all of his earnings from the RSM Classic, plus $5,000 for every birdie and $10,000 for every eagle, to his cousin’s family. Niemann tied for 44th at the RSM and was able to donate $21,450 to the cause.

He’s hoping to be able to do more this week, donating his winnings in Mexico to the cause. And he’s off to a good start in that direction.

In Thursday’s first round at the Mayakoba, Niemann was slow to get going in his round. But once he got it going, he really had it rolling.

Playing the back nine first, Niemann bogeyed the par-4 12th hole to slip to 1-over par. But he got that shot right back with a birdie on the par-5 13th hole. That got him back to even. He would par the final six holes of his first nine to shoot an even-par 35.

His second nine was a different story. After pars on number one and number two, Niemann got into red figures for the first time in the round with a birdie on the par-4 third hole. He would par the fourth before things really got going in his direction.

Niemann birdied the par-5 fifth hole, moving to 2-under par. He then birdied the par-4 sixth hole, then eagled the par-5 seventh hole. Suddenly, he was 5-under par and in the lead.

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The Chilean parred both eight and nine to finish his second nine with a 5-undar par 31, and a round of 66. That was good enough to hold the lead at the time he finished.

If Niemann were to go on and win this weekend, it would be an incredible story. And it would be a blessing for his cousin’s family.

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