The Asian tour’s International Series drew to a suitably thrilling close with Joaquin Niemann emerging victorious after a three-way playoff against fellow LIV golfers Cameron Smith and Caleb Surratt.
At the start of the final round, Niemann held a one-shot lead over Surratt – who shot a new course record of 61 on Friday at Riyadh Golf Club – and another LIV golfer, Peter Uihlein.
The Chilean could barely have made a better start, with birdies on his first three holes as he immediately began closing in on his maiden Asian Tour title. Meanwhile, Surratt didn’t have a bad start either, with birdies on the first and third to keep him in touch.
Uihlein was looking for his third International Series win of the year, but he had a more frustrating final round, beginning with nine straight pars before a bogey on the 10th and a double-bogey on the 11th saw him drop down the leaderboard, eventually finishing T29 and eight away from the top three.
While Uihlein – who would have topped the International Series rankings with victory – was heading in the wrong direction, Smith was making a charge. After beginning his final round five behind Niemann, he produced a blemish-free nine-under 62 to give him a shot at his own chance of a maiden Asian Tour victory.
After Niemann and Surratt’s solid starts, the pair continued to impress, with the Torque GC captain producing three further birdies on the ninth, 10th and 12th before blotting his copybook with bogeys on the 14th and 18th. As for Surratt, he birdied the sixth, seventh, 11th and 13th before, like Niemann, coming unstuck on the 18th with a bogey to ensure the pair finished level with Smith to reach the playoff.
In the end, neither Surratt nor Smith could match Niemann’s consistency in the two extra holes. The three each birdied the first playoff hole, so they headed back to the 18th where this time, Niemann produced another birdie as Smith and Surratt missed out.
The moment Joaquin Niemann emerged victorious in a three-man playoff 🏆 #PIF_SaudiIntlGolff #ThisISEverything #InternationalSeries #TimeToRise pic.twitter.com/kqQjmnuL1GDecember 7, 2024
Niemann’s achievement in Saudi Arabia means that he, rather than Uihlein, finished top of the International Series standings. That has ramifications for LIV Golf because it means that, as a current member of the circuit, no one will claim a contract on the League via the International Series for the 2025 season.
Before Uihlein won last week’s International Series Qatar event, LIV Golf reserve John Catlin had been the long-term leader. However, he missed the cut this week, leaving another reserve, New Zealander Ben Campbell, the most likely non-LIV golfer to finish top.
He came desperately close to achieving it, producing a final round of 64 in Riyadh to finish just one shy of the playoff. Had he claimed victory, that would have seen him top the standings and hand him the potentially life-changing card to the big-money circuit for next season.
As it is, Niemann can look back on a job well done to complete a fantastic year that included two LIV Golf victories. As well as the win handing the 26-year-old prize money of $1m, it will also have a significant effect on his world ranking. Niemann will move from 124th at the start of the tournament to a provisional 73rd, strengthening his chances of qualifying for next year’s Majors.
