Joaquin Niemann: 2021 FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?
By Tim Letcher
Talented youngster Joaquin Niemann has shown that he can hang with the best on the PGA Tour. But is he ready to compete for the FedEx Cup?
With the 2020 portion of the PGA Tour schedule in the books, we at Pro Golf Now will be taking a look at the current top 50, and some selected others, in the current FedEx Cup standings and whether they are contenders or pretenders for the 2021 FedEx Cup. Our latest subject is the current No. 35, Joaquin Niemann.
Best career FedEx Cup finish: Niemann has played just two seasons on the PGA Tour. His rookie season, he finished 67th in the postseason. Last year, he made a big jump, earning a trip to East Lake for the Tour Championship. He ended up in 27th place, which is not bad considering he was just 22 years old at the time.
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So far this season: Niemann has made six starts so far this season and has made the cut in each event that he has played. He began his season at the U.S. Open, where an opening-round 68 left him in a pretty good spot. He followed that with a 73 on Friday and a 72 on Saturday. But a 77 on Sunday dropped him into a tie for 23rd.
At the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Niemann had four rounds in the 60s, shooting 17-under par for the week. He earned a tie for 13th for his efforts there.
The following week, Niemann was in the hunt at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek. He opened with a 72, but rounds of 68 on Friday and 69 on Saturday got him in the mix. His 66 on Sunday lifted him to a solo sixth place finish, his best of the season so far.
At the Zozo Championship, Niemann’s best round was a 66 on Friday. He would finish in a tie for 17th in that event.
From there, the results were not what he had hoped to have finishing 2020.
Niemann had an up and down week at the RSM Classic. He opened with a 73 and followed that with a 66. He shot 70 on Saturday and 66 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 44th. He finished 2020 with a tie for 23rd at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, where he played with a heavy heart.
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The verdict: Niemann is a very talented young player. It’s probably too soon for him to win the 2021 FedEx Cup. We’ll call him a pretender at this point.