Joaquin Niemann, from Santiago, Chile, just now won the Genesis Invitational on the famed Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, which is right next to Santa Monica. It was his second win on the PGA Tour for the 23-year old up-and-coming new pro golf star.
Niemann shot a blistering pair of 63s the first two days to break the 36-hole scoring record in this tournament, which is one of the oldest in PGA Tour history. Joaquin then led throughout the entire tournament to win with an even par 71 today and a 72-hole total of 265, 19-under par. It provided him with a two-stroke margin of victory over current PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa and rookie Cameron Young, both of whom tied for second.
The slender Joaquin chipped in for an eagle three on the par five 11th hole today that gave him a five-stroke cushion over the field. On most golf courses, the dark-haired South American could have put it on cruise control and coasted to victory.
But not at Riviera Country Club, which got the nick name “Hogan’s Alleys” back in the 1950s for its narrow fairways. It was because the great Ben Hogan showed the golf world how to drive a golf ball in those bowling alley-like fairways that are lined by so many, huge, Eucalyptus trees imported from Australia.
Plus, Riviera CC and a few other California golf courses are known for their unusual kikuyu grass that originates in the highlands of East Africa where the Kikuyu people live. That stuff is like those brushes the Fuller Brush man used to sell door-to-door back in the 1950s. If you hit a chip shot the least bit fat on a kikyuyu fairway, your club head might stick in the turf and just flop a divot over your immovable ball. Believe me, kikuyu grass can give golf pros nightmares.
Nevertheless, Riviera Country Club was one of my favorites venues on the PGA Tour. It is such a picturesque place, especially with its views both of the club house sitting high on a hill, and from the club house looking down below on the golf course. And the smell of those Eucalyptus trees and the cool, salty breeze that ascends the draw from the nearby Pacific Ocean, which you can’t see, are enticing.
For decades, that tournament was named the Los Angeles Open. In my early years on Tour, we played it at other golf courses. But when it went to Riviera during the 1970s, where it has remained ever since, I always looked forward to playing there.
Yet, my introduction to Riviera Country Club was anything but thrilling. The first time I played Riviera was in a practice round for the LA Open, and I shot 79. After that, I was determined to conquer the great Riviera. It took a while, and I almost did.
In the 1979 Los Angeles Open at Riviera CC, in the last round on Sunday, I was playing in the final group and leading the tournament with five holes to go. But from only 25 feet on the par three 14th hole, I three-putted to go into a tie with my playing partner Lanny Wadkins. Lanny won, and I finished two shots back in third place.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In