oaquin Niemann started strong on day one of the 2024 Open at Royal Troon with a solid even-par 71, positioning himself well on the LIV Golf leaderboard. However, a challenging hole on Friday set him back significantly.
The Chilean golfer began the second round with a couple of birdies in the first three holes. But at the renowned 120-yard par-3 'Postage Stamp' 8th hole, disaster struck. Niemann's tee shot landed in a bunker to the right of the green, and by the time he finished the hole, he had visited three different sand traps, ultimately tapping in for an 8.
From being two-under after 21 holes, the multiple PGA Tour and LIV Golf winner found himself four-over for the tournament just five holes later.
The Postage Stamp proved difficult for many, with 20 double bogeys or worse recorded in round one, and only 51% of players hitting the green in regulation, despite the hole requiring just a wedge.
Niemann, currently leading the LIV Golf money list after consecutive wins in Mexico and Saudi Arabia earlier this year, earned his spot in this year's Open after a victory at the Australian Open last year. The 25-year-old, regarded as one of the game's rising stars, also competed in The Masters and the PGA Championship this season, finishing T22 at Augusta and T39 at Valhalla.
Despite his talent, Niemann's record in Majors has been modest, with his best finish being T16 from 21 starts. He hopes to improve his standing this week, though the setback at the Postage Stamp has not helped his chances.
"I don't think I've got to prove myself at anything. I feel like I just need to play my game and try to do my best," Niemann said on Thursday at Troon. "I think if I keep playing well, I'm going to obviously maybe do something. Yeah, it's just fun. Playing on LIV and being here in the Majors playing against everybody together is a lot of fun. This type of golf is completely different than what we're used to, so I'm enjoying it a lot here."
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