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(CNN Spanish) - Chilean Joaquin Niemann won the 'A Military Tribute' at the Greenbrier in Virginia, with an unprecedented result for the tournament, six strokes ahead of American Tom Hodge. This is also the first victory for a Chilean on the PGA tour, and his first win as a professional. For many experts, this is just the beginning.
Now Niemann is among the top 50 players in the world ranking, and is left with excellent chances of being called to form the lines of the international Presidents Cup team to be held in Melbourne, Australia and led by veteran Ernie Els.
The Chilean golfer joins Seve Ballesteros and Rory McIlroy as the only players born outside the United States, to accomplish the feat before their 21st birthday. For Niemann this comes to almost an exact year of the culmination of his PGA debut season and with only 44 tournaments played as a professional.
Chile's first champion on the PGA TOUR. @ JoacoNiemann couldn't be happier. 🇨🇱 pic.twitter.com/DKejkCh1vS
- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 16, 2019
Nothing but love for @JoacoNiemann. ❤️
Watch the first-time PGA TOUR winner as he reacts to his family and friends' congratulatory messages. # LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/bmJ1pCw45G
- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 16, 2019
In addition to the reaction of his family and his countrymen, it is a good time to remember what he told CNN before the Mayakoba tournament, in the Riviera Maya, in Mexico. It was a special tournament, and today even more relevant since it was his first game after leaving adolescence. Something that the organizers of the event celebrated the traditional Mexican 'las mañanitas'.
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